La Luna Del Cacciatore
by komodithrax
Summary: Zelena is an average woman of 25. She showed up in Jasper Nevada out of the blue one day, started a small automobile shop and became a ward of the Autobots. Also she's a Lycanthrope who loses control every full moon and tends to go on bloody murderous killing sprees, not that anyone else knows. So yeah, pretty standard.
1. Chapter 1

Zelena sat on the couch in the Autobot's secret base staring at the astronomy chart on her laptop and contemplating, thinking over the problem again and again in her mind, as she did from time to time, just wondering if there was a solution.

Jack and Miko were on the ground next to her playing a racing game and Raf was sitting beside her working on some homework. Bumblebee and Bulkhead were standing nearby cheering the gamers on. Arcee and Smokescreen were out on a reconnaissance mission and Ratchet and Optimus were by the controls monitoring the mission from there.

"Hey what's that?"

Zelena turned to see that Raf, who had gotten on a particularly difficult homework question, had paused in his homework to lean over and look at her laptop.

"The cycles of the moon. What's that for?" He curiously.

Zelena shrugged. "Just my own interest. I was thinking about doing a decal of something like this." She smiled and it made sense as working in her own automotive shop she often did personal decals.

"Oh wow that's going to look really cool. You should make one up for Bumblebee too!" The boy said eagerly.  
She and Raf had always gotten along better than with the others. They were both rather quiet individuals who enjoyed video games and books, but didn't need to make a huge fuss over them to really enjoy them. His friendship had been an unforeseen benefit to being a ward of the autobots and something she never had before.  
As a recluse she never really got along with...well anyone. Her social skills were severely undeveloped and she tended to completely miss social cues and courtesies. Most people ignored her and she ignored them right back. But not Raff, his innocent nature seemed to draw him closer to her, and she tried not to ignore him or push him away as she did others. Miko was a good friend too. A bit loud and over zealous at times, but a kind and sweet girl at heart. Jack and she were...okay. Really they just tried to avoid conflict with one and another, and that was fine for her.

Glancing over at his things Zelena noticed he was still on the same question he was on ten minutes ago.

"Having some trouble huh?"

He followed her gaze then sighed and nodded. "Yeah, this week we're learning about Greek mythology. We're supposed to explain the story of Lycaon of Arcadia, and the god Zeus. Then explain what Lycaon's transgression against Zeus was and what his punishment was."

Zelena smiled, her violet eyes shone with sincerity. "Oh I know that one, here let me help." She scooched over and re-told the story of the Arcadian king and the Greek god. After a few minutes he smiled as he finally understood the whole thing.

"Thanks Zelena. How did you know that story anyways?"

"I'm actually a fan of Greek mythology believe it or not." She smiled back.

"Slag it all!"

She heard come from the control panel, all four of them looked over to see Optimus chastising Ratchet for swearing in front of the kids.

"Well this is the third one in a month!" Ratchet grumbled back glaring at the monitor.

"Another dud boss-bot?" Zelena asked her guardian.

Optimus turned and nodded to her. "We believe it was MECH."

"Again?" She asked her eyes wide.

"Yup. Damn bastards." Ratchet cursed and then opened the space bridge for Arcee and Smokescreen. Both Autobots entered from the swirling blue vortex rather disheartened as well.

"I just can't believe it." Smokescreen groaned as he entered. "How is it they're always beating us to the energon?"

"Maybe they're tracking our position?" Bulkhead offered.

Ratchet scoffed. "Doubt it. If they could track us they would have found and attacked our base already."

Optimus sighed and nodded. He looked over to their ever dwindling energon stock. They were running lower than ever and were in desperate need of a new supply, their counter was in the lower double digits.

The beeping of Zelena's digital watch drew his attention away. He looked at the clock at the controls, 6:50 PM and turned to Zelena.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

She closed her laptop and put it into her tote. "Yup." Sliding down the ladder she headed over to Optimus who had transformed into his alt-mode. He opened his driver side door and she climbed in. He buckled her in and headed out.

0o

The drive was silent as they drove through the Nevada desert. Optimus noticed Zelena was being more quiet than usual, she was just staring out the window at the evening sky. Usually they would converse on the way back. Nothing usually important but about the little things that happened throughout their days. He'd found their conversations relaxing, they helped take his mind off other problems. The high points of his now very stressful days were hearing of Zelena's day at the garage where she lived and worked, what kinds of people and cars stopped in, if she heard any good gossip, or spotted a certain vanity obsessed red Decepticon. But these last couple of days she had been quiet.

"Zelena, are you feeling alright?"

She didn't answer.

"Zelena?"

Again silence.

Optimus tugged slightly on her seat belt, gaining her attention.

"Huh?" She asked looking at the steering wheel where his optical sensor was.

"Zelena are you feeling okay, you're being very quiet?"

She smiled at his concern. "I'm alright Optimus, just tired."

"Do you think you're getting sick, if so you should see Mrs. Darby." It was a tad odd that she always seemed to grow more tired around this time of the month. It never seemed serious, she was always just a bit more exhausted, tended to sleep later into the day during this time. He'd eventually thought that perhaps she had more work to do around this time. Besides, he reminded himself, it was never serious and she had never offered any reason for it, so he had decided to let it go.

She shook her head. "No I'm fine, it's just been a long week, you know?"

And he did, things weren't going so well for the Autobots.

"Either way you should get some rest." Optimus advised worrying for his charge.

Zelena smiled warmly and placed a hand on his dashboard. "I will boss-bot, thanks for the concern."

Optimus mentally smiled as he looked at his small human friend. She was one of the few remaining good things in his life. A kind and gentle person, if not a bit of a loner.  
Her smile was always so warm and comforting and her eyes sparkled with life. And her eyes were quite an interesting feature. Zelena had bright violet eyes like lilac flowers. Optimus had never seen such colored eyes in any human before, it was apparently a very rare color. And to him his friend was rare.  
He remembered the first time they had met.

0o

He had been doing his usual patrols and was on his way back to the base. He was passing an abandoned garage that was a little ways outside of town when he happened to glance back into his rear view mirrors and spotted an all too familiar red car parked in the building. Optimus wasn't sure what the Decepticon was doing there but he was certain he was up to no good. His put on his breaks and kicked into reverse, turned around and headed straight for the 'Con.

Knockout didn't miss a beat. There was the sound of transforming joined by a shrill scream that made Optimus freeze in his tracks.  
Knockout emerged from the garage in his mech-form holding a rather terrified human woman in one hand and wielding his electro-prod in the other. The garage was less abandoned than the Prime had thought.  
Optimus transformed but dared not to move as knockout's weapon burst to life with bolts of electricity sizzling upwards.

"One more step Prime and the human gets fried."

"Let the human go Knockout." Optimus commanded.

But Knockout laughed. "So you can kick the scrap out of me? I don't think so. I think that me and dollface here will just be on our way."

Optimus was at a loss of what to do. If he made a move he knew Knockout wouldn't hesitate to kill his hostage, but if he did nothing then she would remain a hostage for however long the Decepticon thought she was useful for, then disposed of.

The woman in question however seem to have no plans of being a hostage. She had apparently been washing the 'Con before she was grabbed and was still holding the hose, which she quickly turned on Knockout. Spraying his optics with a stream of water, and blinding his momentarily.

The prime acted quickly, rushing forward he knocked the electro-prod from the con's grip and grabbed his other wrist, twisting it and forcing him to let go. The woman fell to the ground but quickly got to her feet and ran back to the garage and out of the way.

But Knockout recovered and quickly brought out his buzz-saw and the two Cybertronians engaged in grappling match. Unfortunately for Optimus, Knockout was able to reach his electro-prod and with a powerful shock sent the Prime to the ground. Stunned from the shock the prime was momentarily paralyzed, and the con made to seize the moment, enclosing in on the prime, saw at the ready. He failed to notice however the human woman run out in front of his legs with the hose pulled taught, effectively tripping him.

"Why you little!" The red con reached for the human, but was in turn grabbed and hauled up by his neck by a very furious looking Prime.

Knockout managed one more good kick, getting loose before transforming and zooming off into the distance in a cloud of dust.  
With a sigh of relief he knelt down, allowing himself a brief respite. That electro-prod was no laughing matter and he was certain Ratchet was going to chew him out about some sizzled wires he was sure to have.  
But as of right now he had another concern, the human woman, who was standing and looking up at him curiously.

Before he could do anything else she spoke.  
"You alright?"

The question caught him off guard. He had never been asked that by a human before and he was a bit unsure of how to respond, but finally he managed a nod and a hasty, "Y-yourself?"

The woman glanced back in the direction Knockout had escaped. "I've dealt with worse from better." She said with a hint of a chuckle, and again Optimus was caught off guard by her attempt at humor.  
"So...what exactly are you?"

The prime felt like introductions were due. "I am Optimus Prime, my companions and I came to earth from the planet Cybertron."

She nodded calmly, taking in the information. "So you're an alien, alright. And the red fellow, an alien too, but not one of your friends I'm guessing."

The prime shook his head. "Knockout is one of the Decepticons, a faction that caused a war and much devastation on our home world."

"Shit. Wish I'd known that before."

The statement caused him to look at her in surprise. "He has been here before?"

She nodded. "Comes in about once a week for a wash and a wax."

Optimus frowned. This wasn't good, if Knockout knew her and where she worked then she would be in constant danger from now on. It was beginning to look like Ratchet was going to have a new reason to chew him out, aside from a few burnt wires.

0o

He was brought out of his thoughts as they approached her garage. Zelena lived here alone in the second floor of a large automotive garage here in Jasper. Had lived here for just a little over 11 months now.

He'd sometimes wondered why she didn't live with or even speak of her family like the others did, but the few times it had come up she avoided the question or said she didn't like talking about it, and he respected that.

He pulled up beside her front door, unbuckled her and opened his driver side door.

"Thanks for the lift boss-bot, have a good night."

"And you as well Zelena." He waited till she got inside before driving away heading back to the base.


	2. Chapter 2

Zelena watched out from the window on the second floor inside her garage. She waited for Optimus to get far out of sight, then waited another ten minutes more before going back outside. Making sure she was out of range of his scanners.

The air was cool but not cold, and the sky was full of dark clouds that blotted out most of the emerging stars. The wind gently blew through her long black hair. It was a perfect night for what she had planned. A perfect night for hunting.

MECH had been getting braver and braver with their raids on the energon deposits around their local area and she was beginning to fear for her friend's safety. They had already once captured Jack, Arcee and Ms. Darby. That ordeal had been too close. And so Zelena had decided to take action. At first it was just a few recon missions, sneaking out at night to get a lay of the area and trying to find out where MECH would most likely set up next.

Unlike Jack, Miko and Raf who had their guardians stay and watch over them through the night, Optimus, as leader of the Autobots did not have that sort of off time. He was very hesitant at first with the idea of leaving her alone at nights, even suggesting she stay at the base permanently or to have Ratchet become her guardian. Both ideas she turned down, much to Ratchet's relief. Instead Zelena was given a small device, not unlike a cell phone, except it had a direct emergency link to both Optimus and Ratchet, a sort of panic button that also tracked her location. Luckily she never had to use it before. The device she had left on her bedside table as it was not needed for what she had planned.

Zelena stared up at the Waxing Gibbous moon. It would still be a couple days before the new moon, which gave her about two nights to go on the attack. Two nights before she would have to lock herself away in the cage she'd built in the basement of her garage.

Zelena kept a dark secret from her friends. She suffered from Lycanthropy, had suffered from it since she was fourteen years old, when her father had spread the curse to her.

Being a Lycanthrope wasn't all bad, a practiced Lycan could change form at will at about any moment. And she had eight years of practice under her belt.  
As long as the full moon wasn't out she could remain in complete control. It was only when the moon was full that she lost all control over herself and truly became a beast. She had wondered if all Lycans were like that or if it was just herself. She'd never met another werewolf, not throughout all her years and travels alone.

Zelena stretched out her muscles and cracked her joints before checking the area for unwanted viewers. One good thing about living in the middle of nowhere was the lack of people.  
With the coast clear she removed her clothes, hung them up on the laundry line and began taking deep breaths before stooping down to all fours. She'd found that transforming was easier that way.

It started with her spine, the vertebrae changing shape, becoming slimmer and longer and then elongating, stretching her back longer. Next her rib cage expanded outwards to make room for the larger lungs and heart that was forming as her breasts diminished and flattened to her chest.

Her hip bone elongated and was moved downward so that her legs were right below her crouched body and her waist was vertical to her tailbone, which was growing longer. Her collarbone stretched as her shoulders lengthened and thickened. Her arms extended until they were the same length as her legs.

Her feet stretched out, her ankle moving up the length of her leg and her big toes receding back to become the dewclaws.  
Her fingers stretched out and thick pads began forming on the underside of her hands and feet. Her neck reached out and her skull began to change shape.

Her jaw and nasal cavity lengthening, elongating out to become a muzzle while her ear canals moved upwards to the top of the skull, which was flattening out.  
All the while her muscles were expanding and becoming denser, and her black hair was moving downward from the head over her back to cover her body in thick wiry fur. The claws and teeth were the last thing to come in.  
All in all the transformation only took about forty five seconds.

Zelena now stood up on her hind legs, catching her breath. Another thing she had learned about being a Lycanthrope was that they had not one form to change into, but rather four different forms. The wolfman, which was, as it sounded, a human with canine like features. The wolf, this form was nearly identical to a wild wolf, except slightly larger. Then there were the two true werewolf forms, bipedal which was the anthropomorphic wolf. And quadrupedal, which was a giant and highly aggressive and extremely powerful wolf. It was this form that she took during the full moon and the only one that was uncontrollable.

In her bipedal form Zelena was able to stand up straight and look into her bedroom window on the second story of her garage. She stood at twenty feet, toe to ears. Zelena often wondered if all werewolves were this big, or if it was because she was from a long line of Lycanthropes, if they became stronger with each generation. If that was the case then Hollywood really missed out on some great plot ideas.

Zelena put her snout to the air inhaled deeply. The cool clean air of the desert filled her highly sensitive nose. She recognized the scent of wild flowers, a herd of deer a few miles away, and heavy smell of motor oil from her garage. It was a good night to hunt.

Zelena tensed her muscles before leaping into the air and galloping towards the woods. If there was one thing she enjoyed about being a werewolf it was the ability to run like this. Galloping on all fours, tearing through the woods at top speed, never getting tired and adrenaline pumping, it was almost like flying. At her top speed she could run at fifty miles per hour, but she forced herself to slow for the moment, only going thirty. Even though she had stamina to spare there was no reason to risk becoming winded later on, especially when she had a long night ahead of her. She remembered scouting the area where Jack and Mrs. Darby were being held captive by MECH earlier in the week and decided that would be the best place to start her search.

After a half hour she came to the dilapidated factory where MECH had occupied not too long ago. Zelena swiveled her ears forward and listened carefully for a few minutes. Nothing. Zelena trotted down and into the open. Usually she was more careful but with the place obviously abandoned there was no need.

She looked around through the buildings and structures until she found what she was looking for. A tire track leading out of the compound that hadn't been ruined by the rain and wind. Zelena bent down and snuffled about the imprint. There it was, a trail. It was rather worn and weak from weather, but it was better than nothing. Keeping her nose close to the ground she began following the stale smell of rubber tires and jeep exhaust through the forest.

0o

Two and a half hours later she had traveled nearly a seventy miles and as she traveled the track had come to a recently built dirt road, and the singular vehicle trail was joined by others. The trail was getting warmer, the scent stronger. It wasn't a surprise when her keen hearing picked up the sound of motors and of men shouting. Zelena abandoned the trail for the darkness of the forest trees and began creeping closer. She began smelling the meaty smell of humans and then the sour stench of energon, there was no mistaking it. She hated the smell of the stuff, it was a sharp and stinging stench that hurt her sensitive nose when she was too close.

Following the scent she came to a large dig sight in the forest where work lights were set up along with an improvised building and digging equipment. It was MECH and no doubt they had come across another energon deposit and were busy excavating it. Her ears flattened against her head and she resisted the urge to growl. These parasites were stealing up all the precious energon that her friends needed, like ticks draining away their life blood. Well they wouldn't get it out of here with it, not on her watch.

Staying within the cover of the trees Zelena crept around the border that separated the dig sight from the forest. She made two full circles, observing everything and finally finding what she was looking for, the generator that was powering the lights and equipment. It looked like they were using some of the energon they'd dug up as a fuel source for the generator.

Zelena looked on for a moment, she waited for the clouds above to cover the moon, and the pale light disappearing behind a curtain of black, enveloping the immediate area in darkness. Taking her chance and silently darting out from the forest into the dig site and into the building that housed the generator. She swiveled her ears back and forth checking for any nearby officers. All clear.

With one swift strike from her ten inch razor sharp claws Zelena tore through the generator like butter and the entire site was thrown into darkness. Now for phase two.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Silas, who was overseeing proper excavation of the energon, angrily shouted into his walky-talky ordering one of his peons to go check the generator and figure out what had happened, as the power had suddenly gone out for the entire sight.

The menial worker entered the power building and searched around for a moment. Nothing seemed amiss, everything was in its place. He headed to the other side where the generator was held. He shined his flashlight upwards, and uttered an audible gasp at what he saw.

Five enormous gashes had utterly destroyed the machine, which was now sputtering fourth sparks. He panicked for a moment before realizing that a Decepticon must be on the premises. That was the only thing he knew of that could do this kind of destruction.

Taking out his walkie-talkie he was about to call in what he found before he heard it. A low threatening growl echoed through the building. He took his flashlight in hand and looked all around but could find nothing.

The growling only got louder and then he felt something land on his shoulder. He touched it and his fingers came back with what looked like saliva. That was when he shone his flashlight straight upwards and found the source of the growling and suddenly he wished he hadn't. The only way he could describe the creature he saw, was a giant anthropomorphic wolf creature. The giant wolf dropped onto the man. The gigantic wolf's sharp fangs were the last thing he ever saw.

Zelena loosened her grip and let the dead body fall to the ground. She was no stranger to killing, humans and animals alike. She had lived as a feral for a time before returning to civilization, but she didn't like killing, she hated it. At least when it came to killing animals she knew she would eat the meat rather than waste a life. But in this sort of situation she had very little choice. These men were evil, violent and sadistic. They would turn on each other if a better offer ever came up.

She turned back to the task at hand. Picking the body up, she moved it to under a table, leaving only a pool of blood, before climbing back up into the rafters. No doubt more men will come to search for the one she'd just killed, all she had to do was wait.

And low and behold not ten minutes later a team of five more men came in with flashlights shining. They found the generator as the first man had, but when they found the pool of blood they grouped around it to see. That was when Zelena made her move.

She dropped down from the ceiling in silence and landed with a thud.

She had managed to crush two of the men under her. The remaining three men turned and shone their flashlights upon her. With a guttural roar Zelena set to work finishing the others. She tried to make the kills as clean and painless as possible, she was a monster, but she wasn't cruel.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Outside Silas waited for a response from his officer and when nothing came he sent in a team after him. He had a bad feeling about tonight.

After another bout of waiting there suddenly came a ferocious roar from the generator building followed by the screams of men. The officers around him heard it, grabbed their weapons and headed for the building.

"Dammit, must be a 'Con raid." He cursed, though he'd never heard a Decepticon roar like that before.  
"Alright you know the drill, switch weapons to EMP. Surround it and put it down but don't kill it, let's see if we can take this one alive!" He shouted grabbing his EMP gun and heading over himself.

His men had the building surrounded and all their weapons aimed forward. He signaled a team of men to open the doors, and they did just that. Whatever Silas was expecting it sure wasn't two of the enormous crates they kept for storing gear being thrown out of the darkness and crushing nearly ten of his fifty remaining men.

"Open fire!" He shouted and every one of the soldiers pulled the triggers sending forth a powerful electromagnetic pulse.

After a moment Silas shouted, "Hold fire, hold fire!"

Everyone waited and listened, not a movement or a sound.

Silas smiled smugly. "Gotcha." He turned to the men behind him. "Alright boys let's see what we've caught."

The statement was immediately followed by something huge and black leaping forth from the darkness.

Before anyone knew what was going on the creature began tearing through those closest to it. When the men finally came to their senses they panicked and began scattering, trying to get away from the claws and teeth that followed.

Silas starred in both fear and horror as the creature, that was obviously not a Decepticon, began killing his men in two's and three's, before coming out of his stupor and shouting orders.

"Commence fire! I said commence fire!" He raised his weapons a shot three rounds, only to be reminded that his weapon was firing EMPs not bullets and that was to the case for most of the remaining soldiers as they fired harmless pulses at the beast. This mistake gave the creature more time to drop their numbers.

"Switch to automatic fire!" Silas shouted, dropping his large EMP rifle and drawing his pistol.

For ten minutes the battle raged. Silas had numbers on his side, but this creature was fast and powerful, it moved like a human but fought like an animal. Half his men were gone within minutes and it was then that he realized he was fighting a losing battle. He ordered an immediate retreat, to abandon everything and get the hell out.

In the end he escaped with three jeeps and fifteen men.

He and the others were just as shocked when they realized the creature wasn't pursuing them. Perhaps it was too busy feeding on the dead, if so it would have plenty to eat. They would have to return later with more soldiers and re-collect their resources and re-organize. Even with this in mind Silas was still reeling at the beast, he could think of a name to call it but didn't want to believe it, couldn't believe that this thing was real. And yet he'd seen one, fought one. A monster of ancient myth and lore. A werewolf.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Zelena watched the three jeeps race off into the distance. She could have caught them easily if she'd wanted too, but there was no point. She had the energon here and that was what she wanted. Besides, tomorrow she would follow their trail to one of their other sights and hopefully to more energon.

She turned her attention back to the task at hand. She first assessed her wounds. She had taken a few gunshots from the men, but not many, and with her accelerated healing they weren't any real danger. With the tip of her claw she dug out the bullets.

Going to the largest storage building where the stench of energon was the strongest. She found ten stacks of large black metallic boxes and knew by the stench that they contained the excavated energon. Zelena assumed these boxes were meant to contain the energon's energy signal and that's why the Autobots couldn't locate them, they could only pick up the signatures of the scraps left behind. She would have to hide the boxes so any Decepticons that came snooping wouldn't find them.

Dragging the boxes outside she decided the best bet was to bury them. She dug ten deep holes and stack by stack buried the metal boxes. But she realized she had to make it so when her friends came looking they would be able to find them. She thought for a moment then came up with an idea she hoped would work. Over the place where the energon was buried she built up mounds of dirt and rocks. Hopefully any Cons would ignore it, thinking it a random geological occurrence. But hoped when the Autobots came around they would investigate them further and uncover the boxes.

Zelena stood back and admired her work, the mounds looked uninteresting enough, she turned and then saw the bodies of her victims and the guilt began sinking in. Even though they were detestable people they were still human beings, probably with families and friends. Zelena decided that she should at least honor their fight and bury them.

Digging forty-six graves and laying a body in each one before covering them with loose earth. She'd collected their wallets and ID badges and laid them on their graves so that when the feds collected them they would be able to identify them.

Now for the last part, she went into the buildings and gathered as much gasoline and motor oil she could find and went about pouring all around the now empty storage building. She had to make sure the Autobots or the government would find this place to begin with. She also wanted as much evidence of her being here gone. She took out a lighter she'd picked off one of the officers. It was hard to work the small device with her large claws but eventually she was able to produce a small flame. Zelena leaned down and set the trail of gasoline she'd laid on fire and soon the building was aflame.

Now Zelena sighed, tired from the event. With her work done she turned back and headed for home for a hot shower a warm bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Zelena smiled as Optimus pulled up to the front of the garage to pick her up, right on time. He opened his door and she hopped in and he started off for the base.

"Hey Optimus how's it going?" She smiled brightly.

"Very well Zelena, and yourself?" He asked and she thought she heard a smile in his voice.

"Oh you know, wash, wax repeat, same old, same old." She said and heard him chuckle in response.

"Well you seem to be in a good mood today." She continued, already knowing why.

"And for good reason. Early this morning we got a call from agent Fowler. A dig site belonging to MECH had been found along with a large supply of energon." He hummed.

"Wow that's awesome!" She tried not to look too impressed with herself.

"Indeed. Are you feeling better since last night?"

Zelena smiled and nodded. "Much. A good night's sleep was exactly what I needed."

They were now entering the base, Optimus parked so Zelena could jump out and then transformed.

"Hi Zelena!" Someone called and she looked up to see Raf.

"Hey Raf, how are you?"

He smiled brightly. "Good. Hey Zelena you know your animals right?"

She nodded. "Yeah pretty well. Why?"

Raf lifted something up into the air. "Maybe you can identify these."

Zelena squinted her eyes, they looked like photographs, but of what she couldn't tell from here. She climbed the ladder leading to the second level and was surprised to see agent Fowler, Jack and Miko were all huddled around a small coffee table littered with photographs.

Raf, who was the closest handed her the ones he was holding.

She instantly recognized them. They were paw prints, her prints from last night. They must not have been wiped out with the fire. She kept a calm face and slowly shook her head.

"Wow these are really strange, I can't make head or tail of them." And she handed the pictures back.

"Yeah we couldn't figure them out either. They're the footprints taken from the MECH site." Raf said going back to the table with Zelena following.

"Could they be from a Decepticon? Trashing a place like this is their style." She offered.

Ratchet nodded. "That's what we thought too at first, but then why would they leave all that energon?" He pointed to the large stacks in the base.

"He's right." Fowler agreed and pointed to a photo of the markings she'd left. "These mounds were found above each store of energon. They were obviously a way to mark the energon buried there."

Zelena looked thoughtful for a moment. "What about an Insecticon? It could have seen the MECH site from the air, destroyed it and buried the energon and marked the site so it could find it again."

"Not a bad theory," Fowler agreed. "But then there's this." He placed a photo of the burial site. "Forty-six members of MECH were killed and then buried, each grave had their identification laying on top. I'd like to think it was some kind of 'Con, but burying their victims is definitely not their style."

Zelena leaned back. "Huh, so we have no idea what could have done this?"

Jack shook his head. "Not really."

"There was a campsite a few miles away and we asked a few of the campers if they heard anything," Fowler continued. "There were reports of loud roars and growling in the night, gunshots too. One of them said his dog was going crazy trying to get off its leash one moment and the next it started whining and trying to run away."

"Huh?" Zelena feigned confusion.

"These prints…" Miko said examining one her front paw prints. "They almost look like hand prints." She picked the photo up.

Zelena looked at it. "Yeah by a person as big as Bumblebee."

Ratchet nodded. "She's right. They're too big to be human prints. But they defiantly look like they're from an organic creature, no transformation seams or straight edges."

Bumblebee chirped up, beeping his suggestion.

Ratchet shook his head. "That's ridiculous Bumblebee, the beastformers went extinct long ago, right before the Predacons did."

"Beastformers?" Zelena asked curiously.

"They were a faction of Cybertronians whose alt modes could mimic organic creatures. Their transformations were nearly uncanny to the real thing." Optimus said.

Ratchet grumbled. "But like I said they went extinct millennia ago."

Zelena's mind was practically cheering, she found a patsy to take the heat off.

"But if their transformations were so close to the real thing how could you be completely sure they're all gone. I mean the Insecticons were thought to be extinct but they're still around."

Ratchet growled frustrated and Optimus placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Zelena does raise a good point Ratchet. We can't eliminate the idea of a Beastformer just yet."

Zelena smiled. "Sherlock Holmes used to say 'when you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' " She quoted.

Ratchet rolled his optics at her. "Don't you lecture me young lady." He growled though she knew he was all bark and no bite.

The rest of the day passed uneventful with the kids and Fowler trying to come with more theories about the mysterious tracks, but eventually they all gave up and settled back into their usual routines of video games and homework. Fowler said his goodbyes and left, all the while Zelena was planning another raid on MECH tonight. She knew it was risky, but now she had them on the run and they wouldn't expect another attack so soon. Plus the energon gained from the previous night would only last so long. She needed to uproot MECH like the energon sucking ticks they were.

At 6:30 Optimus took her home, again she waited till he was gone and then transformed. She paused to look up at the moon. Only a very small sliver of it was shadowed, that meant tomorrow was the new moon. So she had better make tonight count. She could already feel that tell-tale itch just underneath her skin.


	4. Chapter 4

Facing the direction of the previous night's dig sight she took off at a gallop of forty miles per hour, she wanted to get there rather quickly as she didn't know what to expect.

She arrived at the dig site and then searched out the jeep trail from the survivors. It was there and still very fresh despite the ash in the air. She followed it, snout down until she saw the telltale glow of work lights in the far distance. She crept up quietly in the dark of the trees. And just as she hoped it was another dig sight, this one was larger than the other, which meant more energon.

She listened and watched the sight carefully and inhaled deeply trying to get an idea about how many officers she would have to deal with. She counted fifty men, but smelled at least twenty more different scents, plus something else. There was another smell along with the human's. It was almost familiar, but from this distance couldn't make it out. She shook it off. The important thing was how she was going to deal with at least seventy MECH officers. She decided to watch the sight a bit more.

As she did she noticed the buildings here were flimsy looking. Although the site was larger it looked as if the buildings were just large improvised shacks. That gave her an idea.

Sneaking into the building Zelena started by cutting the power, just as she did the night before. With the cover of the pitch black night she crept out and began digging out the foundation of the structure.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Silas took a long drag on his cigar he looked down and smiled at the Decepticon drone that had been caught at one of their other dig sites a couple of nights ago, blowing his smoke into its face. This was the first time Silas had the chance to meet the con face to face. All the regular 'interrogating' had already been performed by other MECH personnel. The 'Con revealed his designation was ST3V3 and that he was a Vehicon class. This information had entertained MECH for a while, but Silas had soon become bored with it. Now all that was left was its body and spark and Silas was happy to be able to deliver the news to the 'Con himself.

"Hello there St3V3. My name is Silas and I'm the leader of MECH. I am so very glad I got to meet you in person."

Though the Vehicon could not make facial expressions Silas could practically feel the machine's fear.

"You see ST3V3 I've decided that you have nothing valuable left to offer us. That is except your Cybertronian body itself."

Realization dawned upon the 'Con. "No! Please I-I-I have more! I-I can tell you the locations of energon mines A-and the designations of all the higher ups!"

Silas shook his head in mock sadness. "Sorry but with our new energon locator we can find your mines just fine right now, and as for your higher ups Starscream already spilt his guts, so to speak." He smiled cruelly.

"Please!" ST3V3 shouted. "I'll do anything! I'll take you to Megatron!"

Silas turned away. "Engineer prepare to dismantle the 'Con. Go for the spark first."

ST3V3 was about to commence his begging when the room was suddenly thrown into darkness.

"What the hell?" Silas said. He grabbed his walk-talky. "Report, what's going on?"

One of his lackey's answered. "Not sure sir. Looks like the power's out for the entire sight."

Silas felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "What? The entire sight!"

"Yes sir. We sent one of our engineers to go and check it out but he hasn't reported back yet."

"Fuck." Silas swore.

"Sir?"

"Get everyone who can hold a gun over to the generators now!"

"Sir yes sir. We'll have an army of EMP's at the ready."

"No!" Silas ordered. "Assault weapons only!"

"Uh-um sir yes sir." The lackey said confused by the order but determined to carry it out.

"Assault weapons sir?" The soldier next to him asked.

Silas nodded before heading for the door. "I have a bad feeling it's our friend from last night."

The soldier's eye's widened. "Oh shit."

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The assault team of forty- six, which had been assembled as quickly as possible, made their way over to the building that housed the generators, weapons at the ready and flashlights shining.

The building was basically a large room with four walls made of drywall with a shell of sheet metal with little to no foundation and a sheet metal roof. It was a relatively flimsy but easy to make structure that could endure the changing weather of the area.

Slowly the team entered the building, sweeping it's insides with their flashlights. They found the generator and the leader comned it in.

"Sir the generator's been torn apart just like you said. Are you certain it's not 'con, shit what else could do something like this?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, now keep a sharp eye out. This thing could be anywhere. And believe me you'll know it when you see it."

The leader swallowed hard, a sudden thought sparked in his mind. What if it was watching them? Oh God it was right above them, hidden in the rafters?

"Oh God!" He said to himself, quickly flashing his light upwards.

The other's, not sure if he'd heard something, followed his lead and began searching the ceiling. Nothing. The rafters were empty. The men began chuckling to themselves and calling each other 'chicken-shit' and 'coward'. But their laughing soon died down as they head a loud screech sound.

They turned to see the twenty foot metal sliding door screeching across its hinges as it was forced closed.

"Fuck! What is that!" One soldier shouted.

"Open fire! Open fire!" The leader shouted and soon the door was riddled with holes.

Zelena, who was on the other side, quickly got out of the way of the gun fire. She ran to the side of the building, picked up one of the jeeps and with a running start and with all her force behind it slammed into the wall. With the weak foundation dug out, the metal creaked and groaned and finally gave way and began falling forward.

The men inside paused in their firing as they heard the enormous bang and creaking, then began screaming as the walls came crashing down upon them. There was little they could do to prevent being crushed under its weight and with one blow nearly half the officers at the site were eliminated.

Zelena, satisfied, took off into the darkness to continue hunting, her keen eyes piercing through the darkness as she stalked the remaining officers. Those who were smart enough dropped their weapons grabbed any vehicles they could find and drove off, some even fled on foot into the woods. She didn't care about them, only those who kept their weapons and kept fighting she killed. She tried splitting them up, like sheep from the main herd, before going in for the kill.

Silas was cursing with every colorful word he knew. He'd just got news that the entire assault team had been killed by the thing all at once.

"The entire team!" His second in command asked in shock.

Silas nodded.

"But how?"

"The thing locked them in and dropped the entire building on them."

The second in commands eye's widened. "No fucking way it's that strong or smart."

"Well apparently it is." Silas grumbled. "Now grab your gun! It's killing anyone it finds, picking us off one by one."

His second swallowed hard and nodded, raising his weapon. The question now was who was hunting who?

For the next half hour the remaining officers of MECH and Zelena engaged in a deadly game of hide and seek, and so far Zelena was still it.

Silas tried to get the rest of his soldiers organized and stay in a single group, but paranoia and fear was running rampant and the men were easily startled by every little noise that caused them to become flighty and scatter.

One by one she picked off the officers until Silas and the small group of ten he managed to keep together and they realized they were the only ones left.

"W-we should retreat, take a jeep and get the hell out of here." One of the remaining soldiers whispered.

Silas shook his head. "We wouldn't make it twenty feet."

"We got away last time." His second offered.

"It let us get away. So we could lead it here, to the rest of the flock." Silas growled, then stiffened as he heard something move in the darkness to his left.

Zelena circled the remaining officers, staying in the darkness and looking for a weak point. They were staying in a tight formation.

Time for a new tactic. She picked up a rock and threw to other side of the group. They all spun to face the noise and Zelena rushed in and grabbed two of the men at the back. They screamed in terror as they were dragged away into the darkness to their deaths, getting the attention of their fellow soldiers who opened fire, but she was too fast and evaded the gunfire

"Fuck there's more of them!" A soldier shouted.

"No, it's just one. But it's smart. Stay in formation!"

Now Zelena needed to figure out how to take out the remaining MECH officers, right now they were dug in like a tick.

And that's when she heard it, the trademark sound of a helicopter. She mentally cursed, it was now or never. She tried the rock trick again, but this time they didn't fall for it, but it gave her another idea.

She took another rock and circled behind them and instead of throwing it she dropped it in front of her. The soldiers turned to face the opposite direction thinking she had tried the trick again. She rushed in with the intent of finishing them all at once.

She went for Silas first, jaws wide, but he sensed her coming and threw his second in command in front of him. The SIC was killed immediately and Zelena tossed him aside and continued attacking.

Silas realizing he was the target abandoned the other soldiers who were raising their guns to fight back. Zelena growled swinging her arm in a powerful arch, her claws catching and tearing through flesh, the force of the strike breaking bones and sending men flying away as she tried dispatch them as quickly as possible. But by the time she had cleared away the opposition the helicopter was flying in above the dig site, searchlights beaming. She mentally cursed again and darted for cover into the nearest building.

She waited as she heard the helicopter hover overhead and Silas's voice, she knew he'd gotten away. Well at least she still had the energon.

She waited until the sound of the helicopter was gone from hearing range before making a move. The first thing she decided to do was investigate that strange smell.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

ST3V3 had never been so terrified in his entire life. He'd been sent to scout out a possible energon deposit but instead fell into the clutches of MECH. He'd been held prisoner and tortured for days. This night however there had been no torture and the human Silas tells him they're going to rip out his spark for their experiments. He thought he was done for, when the lights had suddenly gone out. The human Silas had said something about some kind of beast before leaving.

The next half cycle all he could do was lay there restrained to the large table and listen to the horrifying roars and the terrified screams of the humans as they were killed by some thing. At first ST3V3 had hoped it was a Decepticon coming to his rescue, but the sounds that thing made were too horrible to be a Decepticon.

Now there was nothing but darkness and silence. The sound of an Earth helicopter and a screech caught his attention and he knew someone or something had entered the building. He quickly scanned the area with the hope that the chopper was one of his own, or even an autobot. But no 'Cons or 'Bots were anywhere close to him. His hopes were dashed, and the sound of large approaching footsteps only frightened him more. He was quite certain that whatever had killed the humans was now in the building with him.

He turned on his night vision and for a while there was nothing. Then something turned the corner and entered into the room. Something big. He couldn't turn his head far enough to see what it was, and laid perfectly still, it was all he could do.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Now inside the building, away from the smell of blood and gunpowder Zelena easily recognized the scent she had caught earlier. It was Cybertronian, but whether Autobot or 'con she couldn't tell as there was no difference in the scent. Individuals of course tended to have their own variations that she could differentiate. Ratchet always smelt of antiseptic and iron shavings. Bulkhead always wreaked of motor oil and burnt rubber. Arcee like metal polish and jack. Bumblebee had the smell of burnt rubber, but not as heavy as Bulkhead, and the kind of smell a game console gives off when you've played it too much. Smokescreen carried the smell of car wax like it was cheap cologne. Optimus always smelt heavily of hot asphalt and with an undertone of exhaust fumes.  
But the scent she was following now was unknown to her. Perhaps another Autobot, or a Decepticon?

Zelena turned the corner and found the source. It wasn't an Autobot, but A Vehicon. She realized it must have been drawn here by the energon and then captured. She stepped closer to get a better look.  
He was pretty beat up. It looked like he'd been tortured pretty bad, there were scratches and burns all over his body. Zelena couldn't help but feel sorry for it. No one deserved this. She wondered if he was still alive and leaned closer.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

ST3V3 held as still as he possibly could. He didn't know what sort of horrible creature had found him. But it was huge and hideous with long claws and sharp fangs.  
As it approached he hoped it would think he was dead and just move on. But as it leaned in and those deadly looking fangs drew closer he couldn't help the whimper that escaped his vocal unit. The monster heard this and turned to look him straight in the visor. He knew he was dead now.

"Dear Primus no! Someone, s-someone help! P-pl-please don't kill me!" He cried in dismay fully expecting to be slaughtered.

Zelena stared at the begging Vehicon for a moment. He was a Decepticon begging for his life and she would decide if he lived or died.

With him restrained and weakened she could kill him just as easily as she did the men. But was it right? He was a Decepticon after all, in terms of malice they were right up there with MECH, above even. But those soldiers she had just killed were a threat and had a chance to defend themselves, they could have taken vehicles or ran on foot and some did, those she left with their lives. They were no longer a threat to her or her friends, to anyone really.  
She couldn't do it, she couldn't take his life. An armed soldier was one thing, but someone strapped down and defenseless.

The beast stood back up and raised a claw. ST3V3 shut off his optical sensors and waited for death. But it never came, instead he felt the shackle around his neck being torn off.

He turned on his optics and looked to see what was going on. The beast reach for his arm and leg shackles and one by one removed them until he was free.

The monster took a few steps back and waited.

Slowly ST3V3 sat up and stepped onto the floor. He looked warily at the creature and wondered why it had freed him. The beast raised a paw and with one claw pointed at the open hall.  
The message was clear. Leave.

And he did, he crept warily around the beast, still afraid of being attacked as it watched him the whole way. When he was far enough he turned and ran, bolting for the exit. As soon as he was outside he transformed into a jet and took off into the night sky at top speed, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from the place as possible.

When the Vehicon was gone Zelena sighed. What a night, and she still wasn't done.  
She went to go gather the energon, bury the dead and set the place ablaze.


	5. Chapter 5

Zelena awoke to the sensation someone gently shaking her. She looked up to see a large man with black hair, bright blue eyes and a red and blue trucker's jacket. It took her a second to recognize Optimus's human holoform.

The twenty-five year old yawned and got to her feet from her desk where she had fallen asleep.  
"Sorry Optimus, I must have dozed off."  
When she had returned home from her night she realized she hadn't finished an oil change for a customer who was coming by later in the week. Not wanting to let the work sit and knowing what was coming the next night she quickly finished it up, but was so tired she had fallen asleep at her work desk.

"No apologies necessary Zelena." He said kindly and they both headed for the real Optimus parked just outside. He opened his door and they both climbed in. As he closed his doors Optimus's holoform fizzled out of existence.

Zelena yawned again and leaned back against his seat as he buckled her in and drove off.

"Long night?" He asked concerned.

She smiled. "You could say that."

"I understand." He said compassionately leaning back his seat so she could rest on the way to the base.

"You didn't get much recharge either huh?" She asked already knowing what he was about to tell her.

"Correct, we were awoken again by agent Fowler. There was another attack on MECH last night and we managed to recover another large store of energon."

"Well that's great news. Looks like your luck is starting to turn boss-bot." She smiled brightly and Optimus couldn't help but be infected by her joy, her sparkling violet eyes lifting his spirits.

"Indeed." He said happily.

Optimus parked in the base and allowed Zelena out. She headed for the ladder and found that everyone was again gathered around the coffee table where more photographs were laid out.

"Hey Zelena, wow you look tired." Raf greeted her.

She nodded and went to sit on the couch.

Miko and Jack turned and noticed how right Raf was, Zelena looked absolutely exhausted.

"Wow looks like you had a rough night." Jack agreed.

"Yeah what happened?" Miko asked bluntly before being nudged by Jack for being rude, Zelena was well known for liking her privacy.

Zelena smirked. "Well isn't it obvious? I'm the one who went after MECH last night. Yes I know it's hard to comprehend that under this elegant form there is a powerful and ferocious warrior." She joked and Raf and Bulkhead laughed.

"You're hilarious." Jack said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Zelena smiled smartly then yawned again. "I was up working on an oil change I had forgotten to do earlier." She said truthfully. "So another MECH site got attacked last night I hear?" She asked, hoping to sound curious.

Fowler handed her the pictures. "There weren't any prints this time but we're certain that it was the same thing as before. Attacks were nearly identical. Went in, killed just about everyone, and buried the energon and the dead before setting the place ablaze."

Zelena whistled in appreciation at her own work. "Wow."

"Wow is right." Smokescreen said looking at the enlarged pictures at the controls. "There were at least eighty MECH soldiers, all armed. Whatever this thing is, it's strong. I think even the Prime would have trouble dealing with that many."

Bulkhead smiled and handed Smokescreen a cube of energon. "Whatever it was I wish I could thank it. The storeroom is nearly overflowing, we'll be good for months now."

"Plus we won't have to deal with MECH for a while. With their recent losses they're probably still hightailing it into hiding." Arcee added with a smile.

Zelena smiled with them, glad that she done well for them.

Bulkhead nodded and raised his cube. "Thank you beastformer."

Ratchet growled at them. "I'm telling you it wasn't a beastformer! They're extinct!"

Bulkhead rolled his optics.

"I think Ratchet might be right." Raf said.

Zelena frowned. "What makes you think that?"

Raf pointed to a picture of a field of dropped weapons. "Well their guns, they're not EMP guns."

"Hey he's right." Fowler nodded. "If they were fighting a Cybertronian then why weren't they using EMP weapons on it?"

Zelena thought quickly. "Well Optimus said their transformations were uncanny to the real thing. Maybe they didn't know they were fighting a Cybertronian."

"There are no Beastformers!" Ratchet practically yelled.

"How can you be so certain Ratch?" Zelena asked.

"Alright then what about the fact that there wasn't any energon residue from energon cannons." Ratchet argued.

Fowler agreed. "Yeah all of these wounds looked like they were inflicted by claws and teeth, albeit large ones."

"And if it was a Cybertronian then why hasn't it done anything with the energon. Surely it realized that its first supply has gone missing." Arcee said, now thinking about it more. "So why did it hide its second supply in the same exact way as last time. If it knows it's being stolen then it would have hidden it better, if this thing can track down MECH in the complete dark then surely it knows the area and the nearby caverns."

Jack nodded. "It's almost like it wanted the energon to be found."

"That's ridiculous." Zelena shook her head.

"Then can you explain it?" He challenged.

She shrugged. "Maybe it was a different one? Maybe there's two of them out there."

Fowler shook his head. "No the attacks are just too similar for that. No I think we're dealing with something else."

Zelena shrugged and then stretched. "Whatever." She said tiredly before laying down. She knew from now on she'd have to be more careful. Either way though she wouldn't be raiding anybody, not with the full moon tonight. Well maybe with a few days of silence they would forget about it and move on.

(Meanwhile on the Nemesis)

ST3V3 had just arrived back at the Nemesis a few hours ago. It took him what seemed like forever to finally locate the ship's signal a quarter of the world away. When he re-entered he was greeted by a very surprised crew who thought he were dead. After an hour's rest and refuel he was ordered to report to the bridge where he would be questioned about his experience.

Now he knew telling Megatron the story about the creature that set him free was a bad idea, but knew that lying to Megatron was an even worse idea.

Megatron glared at the Vehicon with an expression between anger and perplexity.

"So let me see if I understand this correctly." He said coldly. "When you were assigned to scout a possible energon source you were captured by MECH and held you captive for the three days that you were missing. Then on the third night this…beast attacked their dig site, slaughtered all the humans and then for some reason released you and allowed you to escape." He stared with crimson eyes at ST3V3, and the Vehicon knew he would have to tread carefully.

"Yes sir, that's exactly it." He said looking at Megatron dead in the optics, knowing that looking away may make him look like he was lying.

Megatron growled. "Do you honestly think I would believe such a fantasy?"

ST3V3's fans hitched. "Sir, I know how ridiculous this sounds but I would never try to deceive to you my liege." He said submissively.

The large Decepticon stared at the Vehicon, he raised a good point. The story was absolutely ridiculous and no one in their right mind would believe it. Megatron decided that this Vehicon was either very clever or very stupid.

"My lord," Starscream interrupted raising a hand. "If I may. Perhaps this Vehicon is not lying, but suffering from some delusion caused by MECH's rummaging around in his mind." The second in command offered.

That did make sense to the Decepticon leader, one could tell just by looking at the lowly 'Con that he had been tortured extensively, with MECH doing who knows what to his processor. Either way he didn't really care, after all it was only a Vehicon.

"Very well." He waved his hand dismissively. "Knockout, take this Vehicon to the med-bay and check all his systems thoroughly. Make sure MECH hasn't left any parting gifts."

Knockout nodded. "As you wish my lord." And he ushered the Vehicon out of the bridge with Starscream following behind.

The doors closed behind him but Starscream waited until they were past the first turn to start talking, just in case Soundwave was still listening. When he was sure they were safe he turned to the Vehicon, obviously angry.

"Are you insane Steve? You nearly got yourself killed back there."

ST3V3 lowered his head at the chastising. "I'm sorry lord Starscream. I was only trying to-"

"Too what? Get snuffed out by telling Megatron that ridiculous story? If it wasn't for me you'd be offline right now."

"And I'm eternally grateful my lord. But it did really happen that way sir." He turned to knockout. "Knockout sir you believe me don't you?" He pleaded trying to get someone to believe him.

He shook his head. "I believe it's real, in your head that is."

Starscream began grumbling again. "And how you managed to get captured by MECH in the first place, honestly they're only humans for Primus's sake. It's a disgrace to the Decepticon name, being held captive by a lower life form."

ST3V3 lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry sir."

Starscream looked at his on again off again suitor with pity before shaking it off as they entered the med-lab. "Well you should be. Now get on the table so that Knockout can fix whatever MECH did to you."

ST3V3 obeyed and laid on the examining table as Knockout went to fetch the proper tools.

"I know what I saw." He muttered as the doctor came back.

"Of course, now I'm going to make all those beasts in your head disappear."

ST3V3 grumbled under his breath as Knockout tilted his head one way than another and he felt the cold metal tools began to poke and prod at him.

It was then that the mech noticed something. Something Knockout had hung on the wall, they were some human movie posters that knockout had stolen from drive-ins he had visited on his off time. One of the poster was for the movie 'Bad Moon', which knockout had went to see last Halloween. ST3V3 instantly recognized the creature featured on the poster. He instantly sprang up causing Knockout to shout.

"That's it!" He pointed to the poster. "That's the beast!"

Knockout and Starscream followed his finger to the poster. "What that? That's a poster for a human movie about werewolves."

"A werewolf? But that's exactly the creature that set me free!"

Starscream face palmed. "Not this again."

And knockout sighed exasperated. "Listen Steve that monster was imagined by humans for entertainment purposes. It's not real, it doesn't exist, get it?"

"I'm telling you it looked exactly like that, except it was a different color. The one at MECH was black and it was bigger, much bigger. Almost as big as me."

"Will you just lay down so Knockout can fix you, you fool!" Starscream yelled.

ST3V3 obeyed silently, but still thinking of the creature.

"Werewolves and monsters and such." Starscream grumbled.


	6. Chapter 6

With the oncoming night drawing closer Zelena knew she had to get going, or else risk starting her change away from safety, so she asked Optimus if he could drop her off a bit earlier today. Of course he had to ask why.  
She said she was just really exhausted and wanted to get home to bed.

But something felt off to him. He was more concerned about his ward lately. He'd noticed she'd been acting…different of late. Nothing that gained anyone's immediate attention, but little things that he noticed here and there.  
She was even more tired than she was usually around this time, and despite her claims of resting she still had dark circles under her eyes, as if she had barely slept at all. He'd also noticed that she was wearing the same clothes as the day before.  
Now this wouldn't normally catch his attention, but the clothes she was wearing were covered in dust, as if she had left them outside all night long, but that made no sense. The signature on the panic-button he and ratchet had given her told him that she had been upstairs all night long, even when she was fixing the car in her garage. Of course this made him wonder if she was taking it off and going somewhere, but Zelena usually took it everywhere, she was just such a careful person. It seemed far more likely she had gotten ready for sleep then remembered the car she had to fix and forgot the device upstairs. Perhaps he really was just being paranoid, but something just didn't feel right.

This was beginning to concern Optimus more than ever. Zelena didn't have a family to go home too like the others did, she had no one else to look after her, and that's why he worried about her more. Of course she was perfectly fine looking after herself under normal circumstances, had for a while as much as he could tell. But if these weren't normal circumstances? If she wasn't well or became ill in the night or something worse happened, she was all on her own.  
He asked her if she wanted to spend the night here. She'd smiled and thanked him but shook her head.

"I have some sleep aids at home that I'm gonna' take so that I'm out for the entire night."

Optimus still wasn't convinced that everything was alright with her.

She sensed this and smiled. "I promise if anything at all happens I'll hit the switch." She promised, holding the device.

He thought about and finally nodded and transformed. With the large stock of energon they had he could make the extra trip back to her home if anything did happen. She climbed in and they were off.

The drive to her garage home was nearly silent, as Zelena stared blankly out the window at the darkening sky, she wore an almost pained expression.

"Zelena are you sure you're okay? Perhaps you should see Mrs. Darby, you don't look so well."

As soon as he spoke the pained expression left and was replaced with a happy smile.  
"Really Optimus I'm just tired is all. I'll get a good night's sleep and be better by the morning, you'll see." Though she knew it was a lie.

"Would you like to go back to the base then? Just in case."

She shook her head. "I really appreciate the concern, but I'm an adult I can take care of myself." She smiled so he knew there were no hard feelings.

He knew she was right, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He wanted her to at least see Mrs. Darby so she could check her out, but at the same time he couldn't force her, nor did he want to smother her. He knew how much she liked her privacy and did not want to become a pest in her personal life.

He gave in with a sigh. "Alright, but call me if anything happens."

"I promised I would."

They came to her garage and he let her out. She said her goodbyes and headed inside. For a couple minutes Optimus waited in front, monitoring her position. He wanted to make sure she was going to rest like she said and sure enough she went upstairs to her bedroom and laid down on the bed. Optimus sighed again and drove off heading for the base.

Zelena laid awake in her bed. She knew Optimus was still in front of her garage and only when she heard the hum of his engines fade out into the distance did she move.

She got up and first went to the cupboard in her kitchenette, she did take a couple sleep aids, wishing they actually worked and that she could just sleep away what was to come. But she knew it was wishful thinking and really could only hope that the pills would at least sedate her slightly.  
She headed down to the first floor and then into the basement. She had reinforced the walls with concrete and iron bars, removing all windows and replacing the wooden door with a steel bolted one. It had taken her nearly an entire month to finish the modifications so it was strong enough to withstand her true Lycanthrope form.

She locked the basement door and bolted it behind her as she descended. Reaching the bottom of the stairs she hid the key under the loose panel of the first step. She undressed, folded her clothes and placed them under the step as well. She shivered and her skin was covered in goosebumps, she could already feel the change on the horizon. It was always worse when she had recently spilt blood, be it human or animal. The transformations always more violent, like the beast within knew and craved more carnage.

There was no bed or anything of the sort, it would have been shredded by morning anyway, so it would just be a waste to include one. Going to the center of the room she lied down on her back. She shivered on the cold floor. Even though she could not see it she could feel the full moon rising. It was, well it was almost like feeling ripples of water come and splash against you, slowly at first but growing in intensity and power. The ripples grew stronger and stronger until they were pounding against the inside of her head.

It didn't take long for the change to start. First there was a wave of heat that swept through her body, making her sweat and feel queasy, this lasted for a few minutes until it suddenly vanished. Zelena braced herself for the next part. The smell of ozone, like after a lightning strike, filled her nose and then came the pain. Wave after wave of searing, bludgeoning pain crashed into her like a brick wall, throbbing from within her in tune with the pounding waves of the moon, and her body, forced to obey, began changing against her will.  
Zelena managed to hold on for a couple more seconds before the pain became too great and she blacked out, her consciousness receding to the back of her mind, as the beast finally broke through, riding on the back of the moon waves.

0o

The first thing Zelena noticed as she regained consciousness was the taste of blood in her mouth, and she began to panic, forcing her eyes open. She was still in her basement and the steel door still locked and bolted, albeit slightly more dented. She mentally sighed, the blood she tasted was her own. She didn't know what time it was but she knew it was morning and the moon was gone.

Slowly, painfully she tried to get her hands and feet beneath her to crawl to the stairs. But it was a very slow process. She was in agony, every single one of her muscles ached, her bones ached, even her eyes ached. Her jaw was throbbing from biting at the walls and her fingers were nearly numb with pain from trying to claw her way out, and she was exhausted from absolutely no sleep. As she began moving towards the door on all fours she realized she was covered in her own blood. She knew she'd probably cut herself with her own claws or while body slamming the wall. She always woke up aching from these nights, but this time it was especially awful. Killing always made the beast within more aggressive, more malicious.

She managed to get to the first step, reached behind it and removed the key to the door. She didn't even bother to grab her clothes, putting them on would be too painful right now. She grabbed the side of the wall and used it to help her stand. Zelena immediately regretted it as she was hit with an overpowering wave of nausea. She wanted to puke but her stomach was empty, so she settled on a long bout of dry-heaving.

The heaving finally slowed and stopped and tears were running down her face did she decide to move. Slowly she made the journey to climb the stairs. She opened it and headed for her living quarters.

What she needed now more than anything was a long hot soothing bath. She again climbed another set of stairs and finally made it to the bathroom. Zelena twisted the knobs until the faucet gushed hot water and steam filled the room and fogged up the mirror.

She laid down some folded towels in the water for her aching body and the tub was full she slipped in.

Zelena swore if she wasn't so tired she would have cried, as she dipped her body into the steaming water the pain flared and died down as it was soothed by the heat. She laid her head down against one of the towels and closed her eyes. There was no way she was working today, she couldn't it if she tried. When Optimus came to check in on her later she would just tell him she had gotten sick in the night.  
Slowly she felt her body begin to relax and she drifted off.


	7. Chapter 7

"Zelena! Zelena!"

Zelena slowly opened her eyes to someone shouting her name into her ears. The first thing she noticed was how cold she was, she was freezing and her body began to shiver profusely to try and warm itself.  
The second thing that she noticed was that the voice calling her was Optimus's. She slowly opened her eyes and wondered why he was bothering her at home, surely it wasn't the time she closed up shop, so why was he here?

She opened her eyes to see his very panicked holoform right above her. Not his human one but his smaller robot holoform. She also realized he was carrying her. Now very confused she tried to sit up in his arms. She wasn't in her bathroom anymore, in fact it looked like he was carrying her through her garage.

She groaned still tired and in pain "Optimus, what are you doing here? What time is it?" She looked down at herself and was horrified to find out she was still nude and soaking wet from the bathe.

"Jesus Christ!" She tried to cover herself. "Optimus put me down!" She yelled angrily, she was in no mood for this, whatever this was.

He didn't put her down right away, instead put her into his cab and started his engines.

"Optimus what the fuck are you doing?" She asked bringing her knees up to try and cover herself again.

Optimus's holoform looked at her with the utmost concern. "Zelena, are you okay?"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be!" She snapped back. "What are you doing here, it's only…ten in the morning for Christ's sake!"

Optimus looked very confused. "What do you mean why am I here? I came to get you."

"Why didn't you wait till after I closed for the day?"

His expression went from confused to very concerned. "Closed? Zelena it's Sunday. Your garage is closed today."

She looked at him for a long moment before bringing her hands to her face. "Shit."

"Zelena what's going on with you?"

She shook her head. "I completely forgot. I'm sorry."

By this time Optimus was beyond worried, he was frantic.

He came to pick Zelena up this morning at the exact same time he always did, except this time she wasn't waiting by the door. He figured she was still getting ready and just waited. But when ten minutes past he decided to go and knock, thinking she was probably still asleep, she'd looked exhausted the night before. When she didn't answer he went inside and searched the house.

When he'd found her unconscious in the tub filled with blood tinted water he'd panicked and rushed to her side. He'd tried waking her up but she didn't respond, he noticed then how cold the water was. Fearing for her life he picked her up and rushed downstairs, only for her to awaken in his arms and start flipping out.

He looked at her now through his holoform, she looked even worse than yesterday. Her body had some bruises along her side and she was pale and it looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all.

"I'm taking you to see Mrs. Darby." He said before closing his door.

"Hold on," She said raising her head.

"You're going." Optimus said leaving no room for debate.

She nodded. "Okay but let me grab some clothes."

He remembered she was still unclothed and nodded. "I'll get them."

He went back upstairs and too her room and looked through her dresser. He wasn't really sure what humans wore or what she wanted, but he recognized a pair of pants and a shirt she wore once and just grabbed them.

Optimus's holoform re-entered the garage and handed her a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt through the window before he fizzled out. No underwear or bra though. Looked like she was roughing it today, she thought.

As she put on her clothes Optimus headed for the hospital where Jack's mom worked.  
Zelena leaned back and closed her eyes wanting nothing more than to sleep the day away.

She awoke to Optimus's holoform gently nudging her and she realized she'd fallen asleep.

Optimus helped her out into the driveway and walked inside. They went to the woman at the front desk.

"Afternoon sir," She greeted them politely. "How may I help you?"

Optimus nodded back politely. "We're here to see Mrs. Darby, she's expecting us."

The woman nodded and picked up the phone, she talked for a moment before hanging up. "Thank you for waiting sir, she'll be right with you."

Optimus thanked her and took Zelena to sit down.

A few minutes later Mrs. Darby entered the waiting room, she spotted them and told them to follow her to a nearby room.

Zelena sat herself on the paper covered bed as Optimus told Mrs. Darby of Zelena's symptoms, who listened intently. Body aches, exhaustion, grogginess, loss of appetite, mood swings.

"And have you noticed these symptoms before?" Mrs. Darby asked.

"I believe so, last month."

Mrs. Darby nodded trying to hide her smirk. "Optimus could you step out for a moment so Zelena and I could talk in private please?"

Optimus cocked his in confusion before nodding and disappearing from view.

June set down her clipboard and fixed her sight on the young woman, she really did look very tired.

"It's a rough one this month huh?" She asked compassionately.

"You have no idea."

"I understand, every woman goes through it."

"Yeah but every woman doesn't have a sixty foot chaperon hovering over their shoulder every second of the day."

June couldn't help but laugh. "He still doesn't know about 'aunt flow'?"

Zelena shook her head. "You're a doctor why don't you tell him about it."

"No thank you, that's not a conversation I'd like to have." They both laughed at this.

"Well come on, we don't want to keep your ride waiting."

They left June's office and headed to the parking lot where Optimus was still parked. He opened the door for Zelena and waited for Mrs. Darby's diagnoses.

"She's absolutely fine Optimus." June said helping the young woman up.

"But her symptoms and the blood." He said bothered by seeing his friend in such a way.

"It's perfectly natural. Take her home, she'll get better faster if she spends the day sleeping in her own bed. And Optimus I'm sending you back to base with some homework. When you get back to base I want to do some research on the term 'menstrual cycle'. You should probably include Ratchet and Bulkhead in on this too."

Optimus gave a nod and agreed. Mrs. Darby was a doctor after all, and perhaps this menstrual cycle would help him understand Zelena's strange behavior.

"Very well, thank you again Mrs. Darby."

June smiled and waved as Optimus drove off.

Optimus drove back to Zelena's garage home where he let her out, walked her to bed and wished her well before heading back to base.

Zelena went to the kitchenette in her living space and took grabbed a bottle of aspirin. She downed two pills followed by a glass of chocolate milk. She went to her room and flopped down onto her bed. She was never as happy to be in bed as after a full moon. Wrapping herself in the warm covers she buried her head in the soft fluff filled pillow. Closing her eyes and letting her mind drift off she fell into a long peaceful slumber.

Zelena slowly opened her eyes as she pulled herself from her dreams. She rolled over to look at the clock on her bedside table. The numbers 4:30 was displayed in bright green digital letters.

Zelena sat up, untangling herself from the warm comforter and she noticed that most of her aches had disappeared. Figuring she'd gotten as much sleep as she would for the day she decided to eat something and maybe watch a little TV.

Going to the fridge Zelena pulled out a container of Chinese takeout from a couple nights ago and tossed it into the microwave while clicking on the television. When the microwave beeped she grabbed her food and plopped down on the couch.

She turned the channel until she reached the local news while she digging into her rice and sesame chicken. Food was one of the few pleasures she indulged in life. Take-out was the best, and Chinese was by the far her favorite.

There wasn't much going on in the small town, a break in or two, a report of a lost dog and the weather, in all honesty Zelena wasn't really listening too much. One thing she loved about small towns was that there really wasn't anything going on.

"Police are now investigating the massacre that took place last night at the Hilltop Campgrounds just fifty miles away in the Spring Mountains." The news lady spoke.

Zelena nearly choked on her food and she scrambled for the remote. Immediately turning the volume up.

"The mass killing, now being called the 'Hilltop Massacre', took place late last night. Thirty-two campers were recorded checking in for the night and all were accounted for dead early this morning." A blown up picture was shown of the devastated campsite with what was left of the bodies blurred out.

Zelena's breath hitched.

"The bodies were torn apart and strewn about with large portions looked to have been eaten. Along with the bizarre killings a set of unusual tracks throughout and around the campsite area, leading local authorities to believe a large animal was the culprit."

The picture changed to an image of a trail of enormous tracks and Zelena's heart skipped a beat. She recognized those tracks. They were her's, or at least they were like her's. They were werewolf, she was sure of that.

"Although local officials are unsure to the identity of the exact animal made these strange tracks park rangers have made statements of the increasing number of black bears in the area. Whether a bear is the culprit or not, it is clear that these woods are now unsafe and have been closed to the public, and authorities are advising citizens to not stray far from town after dark for the next few days. In other news-"

Zelena turned off the TV as her mind raced. Could…could she have been the one who killed all those campers? She shook her head. No, no it couldn't be. When she'd awoken this morning she was still locked in her cage and the basement door was still locked. There was no way she could have gotten out. So did that mean there was another werewolf in Jasper? She had never suspected anyone else, maybe this one had just wandered in as she had? What other creature could have made those tracks? Zelena thought back to what Optimus had said about the beastformers. Maybe there really was one here on the loose?

"No." She couldn't take the risk of not knowing, it was too big of a chance. She needed to know what killed those people.

Zelena stood and made the garage. She needed to get to Hilltop. She paused and looked at the device Optimus had gave her.  
"Sorry Optimus, but this is out of your jurisdiction." She said grabbing only her regular cell phone from its charger. If something happened she didn't want Optimus or the others to go looking for her and end up running into the other werewolf or even herself if she couldn't make it back in time.

On the way and checked the time, barely five o'clock. She still had a few hours until nightfall. And if that ended up being the case, and she couldn't make it back in time, she would travel as deep into the woods as she could, putting as much distance between herself and others.  
She grabbed her keys and jumped into her car, an old rust bucket she'd fixed up a few years ago.

She revved the car's engine before flying off into the deserted road. With no traffic she could make the trip to Hilltop in thirty minutes.

As she neared her destination she took a turn off the main road onto a dirt one. With the park cut off from the public and the police lingering around she would need to sneak in through the back roads, she doubted there would be anyone guarding them.

Ten minutes of slow driving and following the signs that told her where to go taking her down more dirt roads, Zelena had successfully snuck past the meager road block that had been set up. She continued on until she found a part of the road that was well covered up by the overgrown bramble and undergrowth and decided to park her car there or else risk someone spotting it.

She cut the engines, put the keys in the glove box and tucked her phone into her pocket before getting out. She grabbed some nearby branches and tried to cover her car as best she could.

She hiked upwards, following the signs until she found a clearing in the woods. It wasn't the campsite itself, rather a rest stop for hikers to build fires and pitch their tents for the night away from the wild animals and flammable foliage of the forest floor. And whatever the thing was responsible for the attack obviously had made its way through this clearing as well.

There still large puddles of dried brown blood staining the grass and shreds of tent and equipment.

Zelena carefully began weaving through the woods, watching out for the police or park rangers and being careful of where she stepped.  
Finally she came to the campsite. There was police tape everywhere but luckily no cops, probably gone for the day.  
Although the bodies had been cleared away this morning thankfully, she nearly walked right into a large puddle of blood and human entrails. She covered her mouth and fought back the nausea, but it was here that she found what she was looking for, a footprint from whatever did this.  
She leaned down to examine it. It was nearly three feet long, she could tell that most of the pressure was being leaned on the heel and the metatarsal by how deep they had sunk into the blood soaked mud. One might mistake it for a large human track except there were only four toe marks, and instead of being in a neat line they curved around the front of the foot in an arch and above each toe there was a deep groove where claws had sunk in.

The creature appeared to be quadrupedal with two smaller fore tracks in front. The larger track had been made when it leaned back to lunge at its target, she could even see where the dewclaw had scraped into the mud.

This was definitely a Lycanthrope track, there was no doubt in her mind, but it wasn't hers. It was too small to be her's, about a third smaller than her own tracks. Which meant there was another werewolf on the loose. And tonight was a full moon, and there was no way for her to locate it. Zelena stood back up. Shit, this couldn't get any worse.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"


	8. Chapter 8

Zelena froze. Oh shit. She knew that voice. No. No, no, no, no, no! Not now! She slowly turned around to a very large red Decepticon staring at her from the tree line. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Knockout smiled at her, turning his head left and right to make sure the coast was clear before entering the clearing and making his way towards her.

She didn't bother to run, he could catch her without even trying. Maybe in her car she had a chance, but not on foot in an open field.

"And what pray tell are you doing out here my sweet?" He asked suave. "And so **alone**."

Zelena put her hands on her hips. "Who said I was alone?"

Knockout paused mid-step, looked around worriedly for a second. "Optimus is here?"

"Of course." She lied trying not to look as nervous as she felt. "You really think I'd come to a place like this alone? He stepped away for a moment, in fact he should be back any second."

The Decepticon stared at her for a moment before his cocky smile returned. "Well then I'll wait for him with you. It's very dangerous out here after all." He chuckled calling her bluff.

Zelena glared at him and crossed his arms. "What do you want Knockout?" She asked ending the game.

He looked slightly disappointed that she ended their game so soon but brushed it off. "I was sent here to investigate what did this. Seeing if it was the same thing that got MECH" He motioned to the bloody field. "And yourself?"

"Same as you." She motioned to the footprints.

Knockout leaned down to examine the tracks as she had not moments ago. He scanned them, then ran his fingers over the indented mud and examining it closely. He looked very puzzled.

"Any idea what did this?" He asked turning to her.

She shrugged. "Not like any creature known to man. It doesn't leave much to go on either" She said looking at the scraps of meat.

Knockout made of face of disgust at the gore before standing back up and looking back down at her. "Well at least I won't go back empty handed."

"Can't you kidnap me another time, tonight doesn't really work for me." She grumbled.

Knockout smiled at her cheek. "Sorry sweets," He said reaching down, his fingers curling around her waist as he picked her up. "But if I go back empty handed, Megatron will have my wheels."

Shit. Well there was no point in not telling him. Zelena sighed. "Alright Knockout I'm going to level with you. You can't kidnap me tonight, any other night fine, but not tonight."

Knockout smirked. "And why not tonight?" He chuckled.

"Because I'm a Lycanthrope and tonight's a full moon."

There was a moment of silence before Knockout burst out laughing. "Hahaha! A Lycanthrope-you mean a werewolf! I've heard some good ones but that takes the energon!"

"I'm not joking! The thing that killed all these people was a Lycan too and it's still running loose out here somewhere!"

Knockout continued laughing. "Oh really? And you want to stop it because you're some sort of conscientious werewolf?" He laughed again. "If you're a werewolf I suppose that makes me red riding hood?"

Zelena glowered at him angrily.

"Oh come off it now." But as she continued her angry stare he went on. "Relax, Megatron will probably just exchange you for some relics. You'll spend one night in a cage and be back home by tomorrow." He reassured.

But it wasn't her safety she was worried about. She didn't think of Knockout was truly evil, just morbid and running with a bad crowd. She'd gotten to know him a bit before she met Optimus, when he came in for his weekly wax. A cocky prick for sure, but not evil.  
She thought the same about the Vehicons, just Cybertronians with bad role models. She didn't want to hurt anybody, but with the full moon coming it wasn't her choice.

Knockout called Soundwave for a ground bridge and within seconds both he and she were on the Nemesis.

Soundwave saw Zelena in Knockout's hand and approached.  
She'd always disliked Soundwave, not from personal contact but she'd always found him eerie and creepy. He really kind of reminded her of Slenderman with his lack of face and creepy tentacles.  
One of those tentacles protruded from his chest and snaked through the air towards her. She cringed and leaned back as it invaded her personal space, the small feelers extending from the tube scanning and scrutinizing her with multiple sets of sensors.

Knockout pulled his hand away from the appendage, he didn't like the thing touching him either.  
"Sorry Knockout but this one's not for experimenting on." He smiled politely before squeezing past the third in command, all the while Soundwave's faceless face followed them both.

When he was far enough down the hall Knockout shivered in disgust.

"What a creep." Zelena said causing him to nod in agreement.

The rest of the trip to the bridge was nearly silent, the only sound came from the Vehicons that went along on their ways to do their jobs.

Finally they reached the door to the bridge, which slid open upon his approach. Vehicons were on either side of the room at the controls, Megatron sat in a large thrown that faced the opposite direction, towards the large view port. On the right of the enormous seat stood Starscream and on the left, Dreadwing. The former turning around to see who had entered. He saw Knockout and then saw Zelena and scowled.

"What is that vermin doing here?" He said accusingly at the red Decepticon.

Zelena glared at Starscream but said nothing, starting a fight here would not wise.

Knockout chose to ignore him and bowed regally. "My lord Megatron." He greeted.

"Ah Knockout." Megatron said but did not bother to look his way. "What did you find on your investigation?"

"Well, my lord, I was unable to uncover much about our mystery creature, only that it is possibly of organic nature. But I did find someone perhaps more valuable."

It was Knockout's choice of words, someone not something, that caught his attention and he rose from his throne. He first saw the medic and then looking down he spotted Zelena.

The red 'Con smiled knowing he'd caught his leader's attention.

"Optimus's human companion." He motioned towards her like she was a valuable commodity.

Megatron raised an optic ridge and approached with Starscream following behind. Zelena stared at the floor intently. She had no intention of provoking the Decepticon leader in any way shape or form and thought the best way to do that was shut up and avoid all eye contact.

Megatron's peds soon filled her line of sight as he loomed over her.

"Soundwave." He called to his TIC who had slinked into the room behind Knockout.

The silent 'Con flashed an image of Optimus with Zelena.

Megatron looked at the image and then to the human in Knockout's grasp. He reached down and with one of his enormous fingers he tilted her head upwards. He carefully studied her face and the image, while she carefully avoided looking at him.

Finally Megatron smiled. "It is indeed." He said almost impressed, causing Knockout to smirk proudly and Starscream to glare at Zelena.

"And how is it you managed take her from Prime?" He asked curiously as he knew the Autobots were protective of their human counterparts.

"Well actually sir I found her alone in the woods when I was scouting the destroyed human site."

"No Optimus?" He asked intrigued.

The medic shook his head. "Nowhere to be found."

Megatron hummed in interest before turning his gaze back Zelena, her face still upturned by his metal finger. "And what might your name be?"

Although his voice was low and calm Zelena felt a wave of fear wash over her. She clenched her teeth and continued to stare in direction that he didn't occupy.

"Well it doesn't really matter." Megatron finally said removing his hand. "The real question is what to do with you now."

Starscream eagerly stepped in. "Perhaps we can use her as a test subject? We are still unsure of dark energon's effect on humans." He smiled cruelly.

Megatron scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"If I may my liege," Knockout interjected. "Perhaps she would be more valuable as a bargaining chip? I'm sure Optimus would do just about anything to get his human back, even hand over all of his Iacon relics."

Megatron looked intrigued, thought about it then smiled. "That's not a bad idea, good thinking Knockout." He turned to Soundwave. "Soundwave, see if you can get Optimus on the phone. I'd think he'd be interested in knowing we've found his lost human." He went and sat back down in his thrown with Knockout following to stand by his side and Soundwave going to the controls.

Starscream stood back, glaring at the whole group.

Soundwave typed a command and the Nemesis's scanners began scanning the Jasper area. After a few minutes the control console beeped as it locked onto Optimus's signal. The TIC looked to Megatron who nodded for him to continue. Soundwave hit the button that sent the message request to the Prime. There was a long moment of silence before the other end was answered.


	9. Chapter 9

Optimus was not having a good day.  
It had been a few hours since he'd dropped Zelena back off at her home, but the Prime couldn't relax. He had tried occupying himself with whatever task he could find, even re-doing the morning tasks he had already completed. But nothing could take his mind of the nagging voice in his head that told him that something wasn't right. It had been there all day so far and nothing could quite it. No matter how much noise was made the voice continued to whisper. 'Something isn't right. Something bad has happened' 'She looked very sick.' 'You need to go and check on her.' He couldn't shake it off.

Ratchet seemed noticed how wound up the prime was and was getting pretty sick of it himself. He had listen to the Optimus tell him about Zelena's condition and after having looked up what Mrs. Darby had said found that nearly all the symptoms could be explained away. Optimus had been all over the base all day looking for things to do, more often getting in Ratchet's way.

Seeing the Prime wipe down the monitor screen for the third time today the medic had finally had enough.  
"Optimus, that monitor is as clean as it's going to get."

The Prime flinched then stopped. "I apologize Ratchet, I do not mean to be in your way."

Ratchet sighed. "She is fine Optimus. You have no reason to worry so much."

But the other shook his head. "You didn't see her Ratchet, it looked as if she had taken a beating. And the blood."

"I may not know that much about humans but I have full confidence in Mrs. Darby's skills as a human physician. If she said Zelena was going to be alright then it's safe to say she will be."  
But Optimus still didn't look convinced.  
"If you're still unsure then take a look at her location." Ratchet said and pulled up a map with a blinking yellow dot showing the location of the phone they had given. "There you see. She's at home and almost certainly resting."

Optimus knew that Ratchet was almost certainly right. That Mrs. Darby was right. That everything was fine and he was overacting for some reason. But still that little voice in his head was disagreeing, still telling him that something bad had happened. It wasn't going to stop until he saw Zelena in her own bed with his own eyes.  
"I'm going to check."

Ratchet through his hands up exasperated. "You can't be serious!"

Optimus shook his head. "I have full confidence that you and Mrs. Darby are correct Ratchet, but I cannot shake this feeling that I have."

"Fine Optimus, but if you end up getting a flat on the way don't complain to me about having to get someone to tow you out."

Optimus smiled before transforming and heading out.

0o

He arrived at her garage and parked outside before activating his holoform. He entered the garage and immediately stopped as he saw that her car was gone. He hurried for for the door leading to her living quarters he spotted something unusual. It was the door to her basement, it had been left open. He hadn't noticed it when he had gone upstairs for her this morning. She had told him that the basement was where she kept spare parts for cars she fixed up and never left it open, not even when she was home. Perhaps someone had broken in?

But then he saw something that sent a chill down his back. There were enormous scratches and dents on the back of the door. He slowly approached and opened it further. The entirety of this side of the door had huge grooves in it that looked like they were from enormous claws, as if something was locked in and was trying to get out.

Feeling his spark starting to whirl in his chest he stepped down into the basement. There was no light down there, but the light from the garage illuminated it just enough for him to see, and he gasped. The basement consisted of only a single rather large room and was completely empty. No spare car parts, no boxes, nothing. But the walls looked like they had been built up with cement and iron bars embedded in, making a sort of cage. Every surface of each wall, the floor and ceiling was covered in enormous grooves like the door and dark stains ranging from dark brown to red. Quickly Optimus scanned one of the stains, it was blood, Zelena's blood. The prime was beginning to panic. What the hell was this? What were these scratches from and why was Zelena's blood all over the place.

Optimus turned, bolted up the basement stairs and then up to the second floor of the garage. He flung open the doors to living area.

"Zelena! Zelena!" Optimus shouted as he began to search around. But he was met with only silence. There was a container of half eaten food on the table by the couch, her bed was empty and un-made. He found her emergency panic-button on the bedside table. Lastly he checked the bathroom, the bloody water had yet to be drained from the tub.  
She wasn't here he realized and fizzled out his holoform. Outside he scanned around for the print of her tire tracks, he found that newest ones had been made just under an hour ago.  
Optimus locked onto the trail and began following the tire track's signature down the road, farther away from town.

As the trail took him further away from Jasper he comned Ratchet.  
The medic answered. "Optimus are you satisfi-"

"She's gone!" The prime interrupted.

There was a moment of silence before the medic answered. "What? What do you mean she's gone?"

"She's not at the garage. She took her car and went somewhere, I'm following the trail now."  
Optimus paused. "Ratchet, in her basement, it looked like she had built a large cage of some sort. There were enormous scratches and blood everywhere."

Ratchet seemed to sputter for a second as he tried to understand. "A-a cage? Blood? What's going on Optimus?"

"I don't know but I'm going to try and find her."

"What about her emergency device?"

"She left it at the garage. I'll let you know what I find, but have a ground bridge at the ready just in case. I don't know what's going on but I think something terrible is going on with Zelena." With that Prime ended the call and continued down the road.

The trail took him into one of Nevada's more forested areas. Optimus new Zelena enjoyed hiking in the area and wondered if that was what brought her out here, but knew it didn't make much sense. He followed the trial through the back roads that eventually lead to a recreational park. He came to a stop however when he saw something unexpected. There was a police car parked in the middle of the road, next to a parked sleek black car, on the side of the road was Zelena's car, half hidden with branches, and standing next to it was agent Fowler.

When Fowler saw Prime approach he paused in his conversation with officer, told him that he would take it from here and contact him later if he needed anything else and dismissed him. The officer seemed confused but did as he was told, getting into his car and driving away.  
When the cop car was gone Optimus transformed. "Agent Fowler, what are you doing here?"

The government agent looked unusually suspicious. "I could ask you the same thing Prime."

Optimus, unused to this kind of behavior from the man, answered, "I am looking for Zelena, she disappeared earlier today. I followed the tire trail from her car here."

Fowler looked legitimately surprised, and coming from a man who worked with gigantic aliens on a near daily basis, it was not a common thing. "Is this who this car belongs too?"  
Optimus nodded.  
"Optimus," Fowler said addressing him seriously. "I'm here investigating a massacre that took place last night. Almost thirty innocent people were torn to shreds in their sleep." Hearing this shocked the Prime. "What the hell would she be doing here?"

"Zelena visits this park to hike-"

"Hiking?" The agent asked incredulously. "Why didn't she use the front entrance then? Optimus she came through these back roads to purposefully avoid authorities, and then hid her car. She obviously didn't want to be found."  
Optimus shook his head confused. This was making less and less sense to him.  
"If she's still in the park I can have authorities put out an app for a missing girl, but this place is huge."

"Thank you. Would it be alright if I checked around myself?"

Fowler nodded. "Just stick to the North side, authorities already went through that area so there should not be anyone else there.

Optimus thanked him again before transforming and heading into the park. The question remained, where was Zelena and Just what was going on?

About thirty minutes into his search he got the answer to one of his questions as he received a comn request from the last person he wanted to talk to today.


	10. Chapter 10

"What do you want Megatron?" Optimus's voice was deep with agitation and distrust. By the sound of giant footsteps and sticks breaking it was clear the Prime was walking in a forested area.

Megatron smirked. "I was curious if you've noticed by now that something of yours is missing. Something very dear to you."

"I am in no mood for games!" Prime growled, clearly agitated and full of suspicion.

Megatron chuckled. "It's funny really. You tend to your flock so often and yet one of your lambs has gone missing." He motioned for Soundwave.

The faceless 'Con snapped a picture of Zelena in Knockout's grasp and sent it through the link.

For a long moment there was silence from the other end and Megatron's smile only grew by the second.

Finally Optimus answered, though his voice was tense with holding back emotions. "What do you want?"

"Your Iacon relics. You will meet me tonight at midnight at these designated coordinates alone, with all of your relics." He motioned for Soundwave to choose an appropriate spot for the exchange. "And Prime, if you don't bring your entire collection, or if I find that you've come with any other Autobots I'll keep give your little human and give her to Starscream to do whatever he pleases with her." He made the cut signal to his third in command who closed the transmission.

"Excellent negotiating master." Starscream praised, more pleased with the last part than anything.

Dreadwing agreed. "Yes it seems we have the Prime at a disadvantage."

Megatron nodded. "Knockout, take our guest to the med-lab, and see to it that she's comfortable."

"Of course my lord." He bowed again and left the bridge, the door slamming shut behind them.

"Well that went well." He said with a relieved smile.

"Jesus, is he always that intimidating?" She asked quietly.

"More or less."

They entered the med-lab, he grabbed a large glass container, lifted the top off and placed her inside replacing the top.

"Now just sit back and relax and you'll be back home by tonight." He went over to his desk and sat down at a large chair. He pressed a button a nearby monitor, it clicked on and the movie he had been watching before continued playing.

It was like this for a couple hours, with sparse conversation between the two, usually about the film that was playing.

Their conversation was abruptly ended with a loud rapping on the other side of the door. Knockout frowned and turned off the screen.

"Enter." He called.

The door slid open and Starscream entered with a Vehicon following closely behind.

"Ah ST3V3, here for a follow up I presume. Have a seat and we'll get started." Knockout greeted him and went to gather the proper tools.

"Yes sir Knockout." The Vehicon said taking a seat on the examining table and lying down.

"And how are we feeling tonight?" The medic said coming over and beginning his examination of the other 'Con's head.

"Much better sir, thank you."

After finishing his scans he nodded."Well you do seem to have healed up rather nicely. You should be able to fully recover on your own now."

The Vehicon nodded and sat up. "That's good news, thank you sir."

"Yes, yes we're all very happy." Starscream said sarcastically. "And now if you don't mind Knockout it's your shift at the controls."

Knockout sighed. "Fine. But you have to watch the human." He pointed to her.

Starscream made a face of disgust. "Why, she's not going anywhere." He crossed his arms.

"Very well, I can explain that to Megatron when I reach the bridge." The red 'Con challenged.

Starscream looked outraged before giving in and stamping foot like a child.

"Fine. I'll watch the little vermin."

Knockout exited the med-bay along with the Vehicon.

Starscream scoffed at them before going over to Knockout's desk and sitting at the chair.

For a long while they passed the time in complete silence, each ignoring the other. Zelena was trying to think of a way out of her predicament. She tapped her foot against the glass wall, lost in thought. She'd lose control when the full moon rose. Maybe, just maybe, she could resist it, or hold it in, just until Megatron tried to exchanged her. Then she could let loose and prevent Optimus from giving up the relics.

Zelena inwardly sighed, knowing it was wishful thinking. She'd always tried resisting the transformations. But she could never hold out for more than a few minutes and it only made the change all the more excruciating. Plus there was no way of controlling who she attacked when she lost control.

She continued thinking for a bit longer, before she felt the strong sensation that she was being watched. She turned to see Starscream glaring at her from his seat.

"What?" She asked annoyed.

"Be quiet." He growled back.

She rolled her eyes before going back to her thinking and tapping.

"I said be quiet!" He spat.

Zelena didn't know why, whether it was the full moon making her agitated or her general dislike of Starscream, but she wanted to piss him off, despite what the voice of reason in her head was saying. She only tapped louder and started using both her feet.

She heard him stand up and walk over and knew she was in for it now. The container was lifted off the table and to his face.

"You'd do wise to obey vermin." He said dangerously.

Zelena only glared rebelliously and continued tapping even louder.

Starscream glowered at her before he suddenly smiled. "I almost hope Prime doesn't show. Then your mine to do whatever I please with. Oh the things I have planned for you." He said his voice dripping with venom.

Zelena was scared but she didn't let it show. Instead she pulled back her feet and kicked the glass between her and his face with as much force as she could.

Starscream withdrew his face with a jolt.

Zelena smiled smartly at him.

The Decepticon made a face of utter hatred before raising his arms and violently shaking the container. Zelena was thrown about like a pinball, slamming against the glass walls again and again, until Starscream slammed the container down onto the desk and finally the shaking stopped.

The jet smiled. "That should teach you some manners."

Zelena rolled onto her hands and knees, body hurting. Her vision was spinning and she was horribly nauseous as her head had struck hard multiple times. She tried to clear her head and was embraced by an all too familiar wave of heat and the feeling like she was being hit with waves of water, and finally the smell of ozone came. Her time was up, the moon was out. Now she was even unable to resist change for the few minutes she usually could.

"You Idiot." She cursed at him as pain raced through her body.

Starscream stopped dead and turned back to her. "What!" He snarled astonished at her audacity.

"You fucking idiot!"

"How dare you, you vermin!" He snarled.

The pain grew and filled her vision turning it red. "K-kill me!" She choked out before losing her battle for consciousness.

Starscream turned away. "Nothing would give me greater joy." But he knew what Megaton would due to him if he killed their bargaining chip.

As the human continued making pained noises he became more and more annoyed. He made to go and shake the container again, but paused when he saw her condition. The human's entire body was convulsing in violent spasms. Perhaps he'd shaken her up too badly? He felt absolutely no empathy for the human, but was worried about what Megatron would do to him if he'd damaged their bargaining chip in some way.

Suddenly the convulsions stopped and the human stood on hands and knees, staring at the ground with intensity. Well that solved that, Starscream thought and was turning around when he heard a loud growl.

He saw the human's back suddenly arch up so sharply it looked like bones had broken, her face was contorted into a snarl as she gnashed her teeth.

"What in the Primus's name are you-." But was cut off fierce growl she uttered. The sound she made didn't sound like it could come from any human, it sounded beastly and unnatural. Then suddenly the human's chest expanded forward with such force that it almost look like an explosive had gone off within.

It continued to grow, expanding like a balloon, the rib cage changing in shape and size. He could hear the sounds of bones cracking and re-shaping from inside the glass container. Her vertebra began popping upwards, growing larger and stretching apart. As her back lengthened the ribs followed them backwards, the spaces between them widening and the chest cavity enlarging.

Starscream watched in horrible fascination as the human's pelvis widened and then snapped and bent, as if it had been snapped downwards in a ninety degree angle, putting her legs right beneath her body. Her scapula ballooned in size and migrated downwards until they were parallel with her rib cage. An explosion of mussel caused her limbs to thicken and stretch, her body growing larger and larger and her clothes strained before ripping apart. Her midnight black hair spread from her head down her back, covering her in thick black fur.

Her face began changing too, stretching forward, forming into a muzzle that was soon covered in fur, and filled with large fangs. Blood vessels in her eyes burst and stained her eyes crimson. As her limbs grew and lengthened her fingers shrunk back to form the toes of the front paws.

Starscream watched in utter horror as the human turned monster continued to grow larger and larger. Its sides pressed against the four walls of the container, which cracked and shattered from the pressure. Soon she was too large even for the table, buckled beneath her weight.  
Finally, when it was half the size of an Insecticon, the beast stopped growing

The only indication that creature before him was ever human were the few scraps of shredded clothing that were twisted around her tail, neck and legs.

The beast panted from the ordeal of the transformation, being forced to once again heed the moon's call.


	11. Chapter 11

As the creature regained it's breath Starscream suddenly realized the danger he was in. He tried to quietly make his way to the door. But as soon as he'd taken the first step the monster's head snapped up and its eyes fixated onto Starscream.

The Decepticon gasped, its eyes were deep red and blood streamed down its face in bloody tears. But what scared him the most was that they were absolutely empty. There was no spark, no soul in them. All he could see was death. And it was coming for him.

The monster crouched down and Starscream knew it was preparing to pounce. He turned and bolted for the door. He heard the sound of it lifting off the ground, lunging after him.

The door slid open, he felt hot breath on his neck, he leaped forward and heard the snap of jaws close right behind his head. Landing on his feet, he slid for second and turned sharply and hit the command lock control on the door console. The metal doors slammed shut in the monster's face.

Starscream stepped back as he breathed heavily, his fans working on overdrive. He'd escaped, he was alive. A smile began to creep up his face.

'BANG!'

And was immediately extinguished.

'BANG!'

A dent appeared in the metal. He realized the thing was trying to break through the door and it was starting to succeed, as large dents began forming in the metal. Starscream panicked. Turned and ran just as the crashing became more furious.

As he made it to the end of the hall and knocked into Knockout and ST3V3 just as they were coming back from their shifts.

Knockout frowned. "Starscream? What are you doing?" He asked miffed that he wasn't guarding the human.

Starscream, still shaken and nearly daft from what he'd just seen, pointed to the door of the med-lab, babbling incoherently. "I-it-it! Sh-she! M-m-m-monster! Monster!"

Knockout couldn't understand his ranting, but the loud bangs from down the hall caught his attention.

A curious Vehicon who had just turned the corner heard the strange noises coming from the med bay and thinking the door had jammed from the inside press the lock release on the panel. He was greeted by an open maw of fangs and all his troubles ended.

"I-it's the beast!" ST3V3 shouted in surprise and horror. The creature had sunk it's fangs deep into the neck of the foolish Vehicon, who had quickly bled out.

Knockout's jaw dropped as he stared at a real life werewolf. "Dear Primus." He muttered. "She wasn't joking."

The werewolf locked its sight on the three Decepticons, it dropped it's kill before turning its head upward and letting loose the most horrendous sound any of them had ever heard. A howl that sounded more like a death bell that rang through the halls and filled them all with a primal fear. The fear a rabbit feels when it's been cornered by a wolf in a shallow burrow.

"RUN!" Knockout shouted as he turned and transformed. He gunned his engines and took off. The other two following his lead and the werewolf not far behind.

The sound of large thumping paws was close on their tailpipes.

Knockout adjusted his rear view mirror, red eyes and a mouth filled with dagger teeth filled his sights and gave him the incentive to go faster. But still the beast gained on them.

Starscream and ST3V3 powered up their thrusters and sped up, leaving Knockout behind.

Knockout shouted at the two flyers as they sped off, leaving him as the werewolf's only target. Thinking quickly he took the next sharp right turn. The beast slid across the smooth floor before gaining its footing and continuing the chase after her prey. Knockout continued down the hall until he saw what he was looking for. The Vehicon barracks.

He sped up as he the barracks door opened and a squad of the low ranking 'Cons exited.

The Vehicons jumped out of the way as the medic sped through, all confused at his strange behavior. That was until they saw the creature.

The werewolf paused in its pursuit of the red sports car as it caught sight of the group of stunned 'Cons. Its lips curling upwards, bearing its fangs as it focused on new prey.

Ahead Knockout sighed to himself. The Vehicons would take care of that monster, right now he'd have to figure out what to tell Megatron and how to tell him.


	12. Chapter 12

Starscream and ST3V3 finally came to a stop, transforming and landing. It seemed that they had out flown the creature.

"Do you think Knockout's okay?" ST3V3 asked.

"Who cares. What we have to do now is figure out how to deal with that-that thing." Starscream shuttered looking down the halls warily. "Didn't I hear you say that this was the same thing you saw when you captured by MECH?"

ST3V3 remembered the creature that had set him free. "Yes sir, it was the same beast. I think."

"You think?"

"Well this one's a little different. The one I saw stood on two legs and its eyes weren't red. But I'm almost sure it's the same one."

Starscream scowled. "Either way we can't let it wander about the ship. It could be almost anywhere by now. Megatron is already going to have my wings for letting the human getaway."

ST3V3 looked thoughtful. "We should contact the other Vehicons, with them we could form search parties."

Starscream nodded. "Good idea Steve. Contact your squad commander."

The Vehicon nodded and clicked on his comm-link. "ST3V3 to commander Lugnut. Come in commander Lugnut, this is ST3V3 calling for emergency help." He was met by only static. "The commander's not answering, but he's off shift so he might be recharging.

"Then we'll go fetch him ourselves. The barracks aren't too far from here. But let's walk, we're quieter that way and I don't fancy that thing finding us."

"Yes sir commander."

The walk to the Vehicon barracks took no more than seven minutes. When they arrived what they found was utter horror. The 'Cons stared in terror and revulsion at the sight before them.

Dead Vehicons lay everywhere. Every single one of them had been ripped and torn apart, their bodies sparking and twitching. Severed limbs, heads and torsos were spread across the barrack. The floors and walls were painted with their spilt energon.

"I think it's safe to say that the monster has already been here."

ST3V3 stared in horror and dismay at his fallen comrades, only now realizing the extent of danger that were truly in. "This has gotten out of hand. We-we have to tell Megatron."

Starscream turned on him. "Are you insane Steve? If Megatron finds out we knew about this thing and didn't tell him immediately he'll have both of our sparks!"

"But-" A loud roar cut the Vehicon off and drew both of their attentions to the next hall.

They found the source of the commotion. An Insection, its jaws open in a grotesque roar and claws raised at the ready. In front of it was the beast.

Starscream smiled. "The Insecticon will take care of our problem!"

The Insecticon lowered its horn and charged, shooting energon blasts as it came.

The werewolf, hunched down, its muscles tense. Energon blasts exploded on either side of it but still it did not move.

Then the Insecticon came within distance.

The beast sprung up from the ground over its head and landed on the enormous Decepticons back.

The Insecticon screamed in pain as the monster's claws shredded its back, its jaws began tearing at his shoulders, ripping out large chunks. The 'Con bucked, and flung itself around trying to pull the monster off, but it held firm.

The end came when the creature's jaws finally clamped down around the Insecticons head, twisting it sharply before pulling it off altogether.

Starscream watched, horrified, as the Insecticon dropped dead to the ground the monster still on its back. It dropped the head in its mouth before turning its attention to them.

"Alright," Starscream said taking a few steps back. "Maybe it is time to tell Megatron."

 **Elsewhere:**

Knockout had decelerated to a slow cruise, his rear view mirror pointed anxiously backwards. He wondered if the Vehicons had dealt with the werewolf, but was too apprehensive to go back himself. The answer to his problem came when he saw a group of three Insecticons walking past.

He transformed and hurried up to them. "Insecticons!"

The group paused and turned to see who addressed them. They didn't salute the medic but stood up a bit straighter.

"Insecticons I have a job for you. There was some trouble at the Vehicon barracks, I need you four to go see if the trouble has been taken care of." He ordered.

The Insecticons looked down at him, all equally unimpressed.

Knockout realized they wouldn't obey him, a lowly medic. He decided to improvise and puffed out his chest. "These orders are from Megatron himself." He lied confidently.

Hearing their master's name they all nodded, transformed and headed down the hall.

Knockout smiled to himself. Now all he had to do was wait. If the werewolf was dead then nothing would come of this, if it was still alive the Insecticons would handle it for sure.


	13. Chapter 13

On the bridge everything was quiet. The 'Con's at the controls drove the Nemesis forward at a gentle pace. There was small chatter here and there between crew members but nothing of any real interest. The large ship pushed on lazily through the white misty clouds. The feel was altogether quite peaceful.

Then the door suddenly slid open with a hiss and a panicked Vehicon ran in.  
"Lord Megatron," He bowed quickly. "There's been an incident! At the barracks! All the Vehicons- they- they've all been killed!"

"WHAT!" Megatron immediately stood and turned to face the lowly 'Con.

ST3V3 cautiously took a step back.

"What happened?" Megatron growled.

"I-I-I'd gotten off shift and was heading for the barracks when I-I saw it. Everyone was dead, torn apart."

"How could this have happened!" Megatron roared, causing ST3V3 to shake his head, taking another step back.

How could it have happened? The Decepticon leader thought. What could have torn its way through an entire garrison of Vehicons.

There was suddenly a loud roar that pulled Megatron from his thoughts. He pushed the Vehicon out of his way and approached the door. The portal slid open again and he could see three Insecticons flying towards the bridge.

Megatron snarled. So it was a mutiny! The Insecticons had turned against him. He drew his sword. Well they wouldn't live to tell about it.

The Decepticon charged and shot down the Insecticon on the furthest left, killing him instantly.

The two remaining 'Cons stopped, wondering why they hand been shot at, when the still charging Megatron plunged his sword into the middle's chest. The remaining Insecticon landed and transformed before lowering himself to the ground in submission, still wondering why his brothers had been terminated.

Megatron prepared to do in the last of the large metal insects. That was when Starscream flew over both their heads making a mad dash for the bridge. He transformed and crashed onto the ground, his left foot missing and the stump sparked painfully, dripping energon.

Megatron was getting more and more confused by the situation, that was when a loud and ferocious roar echoed through the hall.

Looking beyond the remaining Insecticon he saw standing at the end of the hall an enormous, shaggy black creature.

From the amount of energon dripping off its fur, claws and fangs Megatron guessed that this beast was the real culprit who slaughtered the Vehicons, not the insecticons.

The thing stared icily at him, crimson eyes filled with malice that rivaled his own, and the Decepticon leader realized he was being sized up. He could almost laugh. How dare this creature, this animal challenge him. He turned to the still cowering Insecticon.

"Kill that beast." Were his only words.

The Insecticon looked to the creature at the end of the hall and then to his master and decided which was worse to die by. It was an almost even match. He stood and began advancing towards the quadrupedal thing.

The fight, if it could be called that, was short.

The Insecticon raised its arm to strike, when the beast lunged forward with an unexpected burst of speed and began tearing into its exposed flank with fangs and claws.

The Insecticon wailed in pain and began fighting back.  
But the beast ignored the metal fist being slammed into its ribcage, until the 'Con could take the pain no longer and began firing off its energon cannon in all directions, even risking shooting itself.

The creature jumped back out of the way of the energon blasts.

The Insecticon began moving forward, trying to follow it. That was a mistake as during the space between shots fired the beast dashed forward and slammed into the 'Con's, knocking him to the ground with a crash The creature wasted no time, leaping on it and tearing in. It ripped the Insecticon's front apart, as the Cybertronian shrieked and struggled in vain, until the beast ripped out its very spark and crushed it within it's jaws. The orb of life diminished and disappearing between white fangs.

Megatron watched all this with a morbid fascination.

When the beast before him had finished with the carcass it turned on him, eyeing him with those soulless bloody orbs.

Megatron stepped forward, his sword still drawn. The creature had his attention.

They circled each other for a long moment, each trying to analyze the best way to kill the other.

Finally the beast charged and he prepared himself.

He tensed his sword hand, preparing for the strike. But just as he made to plunge his sword downward onto the creature the beast suddenly stopped short, missing the blow completely, the sword slicing into the floor. Megatron's shock was disrupted when the creature clamped down onto his arm with its powerful jaws, fangs digging deep into metal and wire. The Decepticon winced before raising his free arm and punching the thing in its face causing it to let go and jump back with a growl.

Megatron looked at the bleeding bite mark and then back at the beast with a new sense of wariness. It had anticipated his move and countered. It was smarter than he had originally thought. He decided it was time to go on the attack.

Raising his fusion cannon and fired a volley of blasts.

The beast dodged and leaped side to side, slowly progressing up the hall toward it's quarry.

He realized it was trying to gain ground, similar in the way it had with the Insecticon. Megatron stopped firing and bolted forward with his sword.

The beast met his charge and tried leaping over him, but Megatron wasn't having any of it.

He grabbed its back leg and slammed it on the ground. He thought it would be stunned and raised his sword to strike. What he didn't expect was for the beast to suddenly sit up on its haunches, and swipe its large paw across his head, leaving four large claw marks across his face. Megatron, momentarily blinded, let go of the thing's leg to raise both his hands to guard his face and neck.

The creature leaped forward pushing the warlord onto his back, pinning him down with its sheer brute force. The next thing Megatron felt was the beast's teeth sinking into his arm.

The creature sunk its fangs deep into the Decepticon's fusion cannon, and with the same twisted pulling motion with which it had removed the Insecticon's spark, it ripped the cannon from its place on the warlord's arm.

Megatron roared in pain as the wound began bleeding energon freely. He tried to punch the creature in its face, but the monster quicklydropped the cannon and bit his fist, tearing the last three fingers of his hand off.

Megatron realized he was now at a serious disadvantage and if the odds didn't change he would be killed.

"Dreadwing!"

In seconds a blue blur had rushed forward and the beast was thrown off him and across the hall.

Dreadwing grabbed his Gatling gun and opened fire, causing the monster to turn and retreat further down the hall. The blue warrior hit the lock controls on the door console. The hall doors for the entire corridor in which the thing had retreated into slammed shut and locked, trapping it.

Megatron had gotten to his feet by now, his injured hand trying to stop the flow of energon from the gaping wound on his arm. He looked to the destroyed fusion cannon and then turned to stare at Starscream who was undoubtedly responsible for this in some way.

Starscream, who saw that he was about to be blamed for this, acted quickly.

"It was Knockout's fault!" He shrieked.

Megatron didn't know if it was the truth, but he needed the medic either way.

"KNOCKOUT!" He shouted down the open halls.

The medic's head soon appeared peaking around the corner of one of the side halls. He looked nervously at the locked corridor, where the beast was slamming itself against the door trying to break through, before approaching his leader.

"Y-yes my lord?"

Megatron turned to Starscream and motioned him forward with his good hand.

When the second in command finally limped his way over Megatron started. He glared at both of them with rage.  
"Would either of you care to explain THAT!" He pointed to the door where the creature was still trying to get out.

Starscream raised his hand to point at Knockout accusingly, the red 'Con gaped.

"What! It was you who was supposed to be watching the human!"

"Yes but you were the one who brought this-this monstrosity aboard!"

Megatron suddenly remembered their deal with Optimus. "Where is the human?"

Starscream swallowed hard before pointing to the locked corridor.

Megatron snarled. "It killed the human as well!"

Starscream trembled and shook his head. "I-it-it is the human."

The warlord looked like he was about to strike the seeker when ST3V3 stepped in.

"It's true my lord. The beast that I spoke about, I believe this is the same one."

The Decepticon leader looked to Vehicon, then to the door and back.  
"Explain." He was deadly serious.

Knockout took this as his cue to speak. "W-well y-y-you see, my lord…it seems that this human is a kind of organic transformer. Has a condition called Lycanthropy… I-it's a condition that is triggered by the –um this planet's lunar cycles. During the full moon it causes the affected human to uncontrollably transform into a Lycanthrope."

Megatron looked like he wasn't buying it. "If this is true then why didn't anyone know of this! Humans may be ignorant but they are not blind."

"Well- my lord, uh she did say she was a Lycanthrope. Bu-but this condition is so rare that it was only thought to be myth, like dark energon. I thought it nothing more than a lie to try and escape, but it seems that Lycanthropy is very real."

The leader looked at his wounds. "Indeed." He growled.

Knockout nodded. "It's so rare that I doubt even Optimus knows about her…'condition'"

Megatron was still having a hard time believing all of this. "Soundwave." He called the inelegance officer over.

The silent 'Con approached with ease.

"Play the video feed for the Med-lab today." Megatron ordered.

One of his tentacles extended and slithered to the controls where it jacked in. Soundwave's visor switched to the camera feed from the med-lab, he fast forwarded it where Knockout brought Zelena in. Knockout left for his shift and Starscream took over. He sped up the play time a bit more. They watched as Starscream began his argument, then his assault on the human.

Megatron turned to glare at his second in command, to which the jet coward. But the sound of growling brought the leader's attention back to the video. The human's body began shifting and changing and they all watched as she was transformed into the fearsome beast that was now shut up in the corridor. The video ended after Starscream had escaped with the med-lab door being opened by a Vehicon.

"There, you see my lord. It's just as I said." Knockout said.

Megatron rubbed his chin with his good hand. "It seems that were correct about the human, and about the Vehicon's beast."

"Lord Megatron," Dreadwing interrupted. "What are we do with this creature now?" The heavily fortified door was slowly developing small dents from the beast's efforts to break free.

That was a good question, but Megatron's sinister mind soon developed an idea to which he smiled cruelly.  
"Optimus wants his human back, so we'll deliver her to him."


	14. Chapter 14

With a surprising amount of efficiency and in a rather short span of time Knockout had patched up the wounds of his master and Starscream, while the others constructed a series of constraints that would be used to hold the creature, made from the very parts of the ship itself. This creature after all was exceedingly strong and if it got loose it would be a disaster. Well, another disaster.

When they were finally prepared everyone got into position. Megatron and Dreadwing would have to be the ones to hold the beast down, while Knockout and Starscream would attach the restraints. The restraints being large arches of the strong metal made of the ship's interior armor plating that would be attached directly to the floor of the Nemesis.

Megatron nodded to Dreadwing, giving him the signal to open the doors.

The blue Decepticon typed in the command on the console before stepping back warily. The door slowly slid back, revealing the beast who stood directly on the other side, as if waiting for just this moment.

They all tensed, waiting for the attack, but the creature just stood there. All four 'Cons stared at the creature who starred forward but stayed purposely still.

"It knows it's a trap." Megatron grunted. "We'll have to lure it forward." He looked to Knockout and motioned for him to go.

The medic's eyes widened. "Why me? This happened on Starscream's watch."

"But you're the one who brought that thing on board. This is your fault!" Megatron growled.

Knockout cringed but slowly began moving forward, taking baby steps toward the beast, too afraid to make any real headway. A fourth of the way there he paused and turned to Megatron to beg to come back.

This was a mistake, for as he made himself vulnerable the werewolf saw its chance and lunged.

"KNOCKOUT DUCK!" Dreadwing shouted as the he and Megatron charged.

The red 'Con turned to see claws and fangs approaching. Knockout did exactly as he was told, his legs gave out beneath him and he briefly fainted, falling flat on his face. The beast sailed over and through the space he had just occupied, and landing right into the clutches of Megatron and Dreadwing.

They leaped upon it, trying to pin it down with their combined weight. For a while they struggled, wrestling the creature while constantly trying to avoid it's fangs and claws, until they managed to pin the werewolf to the floor. With its legs held to its sides and its jaws clamped down as both 'Cons sat on its back.

"Starscream! Knockout! Now!" Megatron shouted.

Starscream rushed forward trying to attach the restraints.

Knockout was still lying on the floor.

"Knockout!" Dreadwing roared.

The medic's life finally stopped flashing before his eyes and he came too. He leaped up, grabbed one of the restraints and joined Starscream in attaching them to the floor over the creature.

The beast struggled and tried to wrestle free but was kept relatively still and as more of the metal arches were fixed in place its movements were slowly stunted.

Finally the last arch restrained its jaws as it was bolted and then welded to the floor like the others. The two large 'Cons slowly released their grip and stepped back. The werewolf shook and growled as it tried to break free, but the restraints held firm.

Megatron smiled at their work. "Soundwave, prepare the space bridge. I think it's about time we reunite her with Optimus." He chuckled darkly.

Soundwave left and Knockout began cutting the floor around the werewolf so it could be moved for transport.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Optimus drove down the deserted dirt road, with the iacon relics in tow, towards the coordinates he'd been sent. His mind was a swirling storm of emotions, anger, fear, worry, hatred.

He was cursing Megatron, cursing the entire Decepticon army, cursing Knockout, cursing every deity he knew of for letting this happen, but most of all he was cursing himself. He'd known something was wrong. He'd known he should have stayed with Zelena or made her stay with him. This wouldn't have happened if he had.

He still had no idea why Zelena had left, why she didn't take her panic-button, or why she went out to the park where those killings had taken place. All he did know is that sometime after arriving there Knockout must have found her and had taken her.

His very spark quaked with rage and fear as he remembered getting the call from Megatron.

Megatron had taunted him, saying he was missing something and he felt his spark drop in his chest. Then he'd gotten the image of Knockout holding Zelena, the red 'Con's arrogant smile and Zelena wearing her brave face. Megatron ordered him to deliver all of his relics or else Zelena would be given to Starscream as a play thing. That thought alone terrified him. Starscream hated humans and he would torture her in the most horrible ways for his own sick amusement. Optimus would never allow that to happen to her.

But the decision was not his alone. Giving up the iacon relics would affect each of his teammates, so they would all have to decide.  
He had Ratchet ground bridge him back and with everyone gathered at the base and explained the situation.  
They had all heard that Zelena had gone missing earlier on, so it seemed less shocking when the news finally came that she had been captured by the Decepticons. Now each of them had to decide what to do.  
Bumblebee had suggested that they all go and hide around the area and when Megatron had let her go they would all attack. But both Optimus and Ratchet knew that Soundwave would be scanning the area at all times to monitor if Prime kept his word. And they knew if they were found out Megatron wouldn't hesitate to killing Zelena.  
Bulkhead suggested ground bridging onto the Nemesis and trying to find her, but that plan was deemed far too dangerous for both the Autobots and Zelena.  
Finally it was decided that they had no choice but to surrender their relics and hoped Megatron kept his word.

He pulled into the spot where the exchange would take place. It was a box canyon, he expected this would be so that he couldn't try to cheat the Decepticons.

He transformed into his robot mode, the Iacon relics sealed inside a large metal container strapped to his back. Now all he had to do was wait.

It wasn't long until a large blue swirling portal opened in front of him. Optimus tensed and waited for the Decepticons. But only one Decepticon exited, it was Knockout and it looked like he was running for his life.

Knockout was bolting for Optimus. Before the 'Con could reach him, the prime rushed forward, capturing knockout by his throat and slamming him into the ground, face twisted in rage.  
"Where is Zelena! Why did you take her!"

The con coughed clawing at the prime's wrist trying to get him to loosen his grip.  
"You should thank me for getting that monster away from you!" He spat back, but stopped his struggling, his face the definition of fear and it soon became apparent why.  
In front of them, where the swirling blue portal was, now stood an enormous beast.

Optimus's eyes widened as he looked at the beast, the only word that seemed to fit the creature's description. He let go of knockout, who quickly got up and tried to hide behind the prime. It was obviously in the pursuit of the Decepticon, its jaws snapping with vicious growls. The thing vaguely reminded him of one of Earth's wolves, but largely more vicious.


	15. Chapter 15

Knockout was doing three things at that moment.

He was running for his life, cursing Primus, and currently thinking about leaving the Decepticons, this messed up paranormal scrap seemed to only happen when he was on the Nemesis.

They'd been moving the werewolf to the space bridge deck. Not an easy task considering the creature's weight, plus the metal restraints and the part of the floor they had to cut out. It took all four 'cons working together just to lift the entire thing into the air and start moving down the hall. Megatron and Dreadwing in the front, carrying most of the weight, with himself and Starscream right behind, trying to hold their large burden to same height of the larger 'cons or risk the entire group getting unbalanced or tripping and dropping their load.

The creature's constant shuffling wasn't making their job any easier. It snarled and rattled as well as it could while being held down, while constantly jerking around trying to break free, causing the structure to jar back and forth. The worst though was when the beast would suddenly get a burst of strength and begin rocking the structure back and forth. When this happened they were forced to set it down and wait for the creature to exhaust itself. Though Knockout wondered how truly exhausted the thing was considering these outbursts seemed to happen every five minutes. Trying to beat the werewolf into submission didn't help at all, in fact it did quite the opposite, enraging the beast and prolonging the outbursts.

Finally the group reached the space bridge deck. The restraint structure and the beast it was holding was set down while Soundwave went to the computers to open a space bridge. Starscream and Knockout nearly dropped from exhaustion, their limbs shaking in response to the enormous weight they'd shouldered. Dreadwing and Megatron stayed standing, but even they looked winded from the journey.

While Soundwave was punching in the coordinates the Decepticon leader kneeled down in front of the werewolf. He stared at the bloody red eyes that stared back and the creature growled hatefully at him. Megatron recognized that look in the creature's eyes, it was the want, the need to hunt, to kill. Not for food or for self defense, but because it could, because that's what it was made for. But that seemed to be the only thing there. There was no deeper consciousness, no thought, just primal instincts.

Megatron placed his good hand on top of the creature's head, examining the black fur that was now crusty with dried energon.

The creature roared as much as it could and attempted to lunge at him, but could do no more than rattle its restraints.

Megatron smirked a bit at the creature's vigor, then went back to his examination. He was surprised by how course the fur was, feeling almost like wire more than the thin keratin hairs that most mammals seemed to posses. He pressed down lightly and found that the hairs compact under pressure, almost forming a layer of fiber armor.

Curiously he began parting the fur in different areas, wanting to see if there was any damage to the creature's protoform, or if the fiber armor was resilient to energon blasts or Cybertronian blades. What he found surprised him.

There was evidence of fresh cuts and burns, the red blood organics used for energon was still wet, but the wounds themselves looked as if they were older than they were. Already the gashes had stopped bleeding and started closing leaving red lines in the protoform.

Megatron leaned back onto his heels with a thoughtful expression. This creature was self-healing and by the looks of it, its body healed very rapidly.

Megatron leaned in again, taking one of its front paws and examining the middle claw.

The claw was dark black and large, nearly dwarfing one of his own fingers. The tip tapered into an edge that looked sharper than a razor's edge.

The paw he was holding suddenly flexed as the beast tried grabbing at the Decepticon.

Megatron barely had time to draw back his hand before those crescent claws began digging into the metal below.

With one last thought in mind the Decepticon leader moved to the beast's snout. Carefully he lifted beast's gums revealing the teeth within. He looked and was astounded at what he saw.

Its fangs, every one of them, were sharp and gleamed pale ivory in the dim lighting. Even after tearing through half the ship and its crew its fangs and claws had barely dulled at all. How a human could become such an enormous and fearsome creature was beyond Megatron's understand. But he guessed that if something as mystical as dark energon could exist then perhaps other sorts of mysticism could as well.

Megatron leaned back and smiled. "It's almost a shame." He said addressing the werewolf.  
"A beast as strong and as vicious as yourself would have made a fine addition to my crew, especially now considering you've managed to snuff nearly a third of them out. You slaughter anything in your path. Only in the pits of Kaon have I faced such beasts that come close to you."

The werewolf roared again and attempted another lunge.

Megatron laughed and shook his head. "You're either a weakling human or an uncontrollable monster. If only this side of you could be tamed. But you'd kill me in a second if you had the chance, even if you were still human." He chuckled again. "But you can do one thing for me. Kill Optimus Prime." With that the Decepticon warlord stood and went to the console.

Soundwave opened the space bridge, the glowing blue portal swirling ahead. Everything was going according to the plan until, 'SNAP!'. It wasn't an exceedingly loud sound, but it silenced the entire room.

Everyone turned to see the restraints intact, but the floor they were bolted and welded too was not.

The werewolf had given up on breaking the arches and started simply pulling upwards with its shoulders and pushing down with all four legs. The resulting force caused the ends of the arches to literally tear up the panel it was attached too and more importantly freeing the beast.

The werewolf had simply stood up, looked at the group of Starscream, Megatron, Dreadwing and Soundwave and then turned to Knockout, who only now realized, was on the wrong side of the room and of life.

With a low growl Knockout knew he had been targeted and that he should start running now.

He turned and darted through the space bridge, he saw the Prime and prayed that he would be saved.

He continued sprinting for his life and jumped behind the Prime for protection.

 **0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0**

Optimus drew his weapons and kept his front towards the oncoming creature, he glared at Knockout from the corner of his eyes.

"Knockout where is Zelena?"

The cowering Decepticon was too out of breath to answer coherently so instead raised his and pointed to the creature. "R-right th-there!"

Optimus wasn't sure what he'd meant, but neither did he have the time to dwell on it as the creature engaged him.

The beast charged and Optimus prepared himself. The thing attempted to lunge but Optimus brought his fist up, knocking it back.

The large beast staggered but stayed on it's feet and growled low and threateningly, its red eyes glaring at the Prime. Again it came at him and the Autobot readied to strike, but this time the beast ducked his arm. The creature's head slammed into his abdomen, lifting him right off his feet and knocking the wind out of him. The beast bucked and threw him onto the dirt with a slam, the container of relics flying off.

The next thing Optimus felt was searing pain in his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see the beast's fangs sinking into his shoulder. He pulled back his fist and socked the thing in its eye.

With a yelp of pain it released him.

The Prime curled his legs and with all his might kicked the beast, the creature went soaring through the air and landed on its side.

Knockout watched the fight in awe. He wasn't sure if the Prime was a match for the werewolf, even Megatron had to call for backup, but the Autobot was sure trying. He watched as the werewolf head butted the prime.

The container of relics flew through the air and landed only a few yards away. Knockout made a grab for the container with a pleased smile, before screaming as the werewolf's jaws locked around his ankle. He attempted to shoot the thing with his energon blaster, but the wolf suddenly stood up on its hind legs and began shaking him.

Knockout was whipped about painfully like a flag in the wind, the 'Con screamed in pain and disorientation. Thinking quickly he transformed his hand into his buzz saw and dizzily swung at the beast. He managed to hit his mark, his saw cutting deep just below its front foreleg. With a howl of pain the werewolf dropped Knockout.

He quickly jumped to his feet and reevaluated the situation. The relics weren't very far away but it would mean risking another attack by the werewolf. He looked at the spacebridge. Megatron would beat him viciously for returning empty handed, but he would leave him alive. So with decision made Knockout turned and ran through the space bridge, the blue portal closing seconds behind him.

Optimus watched as the Decepticon retreated and the creature turned its attention back onto him. Prime drew his sword and prepared for the fight. He saw the bleeding wound and hoped he could somehow exploit that.

The beast charged, albeit slower than before. Optimus waited and side stepped, the beast followed and raked its claws across the Prime's side.

Optimus winced and felt the open wounds bleed. He managed to jump to side, raised his foot and kicked the beast in the ribs. Knocked onto his side Optimus raised his blaster.  
As the beast got to his feet Optimus fired a warning shot at its feet.

The monster stared at him and it seemed to know that if it continued fighting it would lose. Acting on self-preservation the creature gave one last hateful roar then turned tail and ran off into the night.

When the beast had vanished from sight Optimus sighed and finally let down his guard. His legs shook and he fell to his knees, his wounds finally taking their toll. The beast had done a lot of damage.  
That creature, he had never seen it's likes before anywhere on Earth. It was not Cybertronian either, he knew that much.

He saw the metal container lying on the ground. Tiredly he reached out and pulled it back to him.  
He had the relics, but not Zelena. Where was she now? What had Knockout meant when he pointed at the thing and said 'there'?

He looked in the direction of where the thing had disappeared into the distance, he looked at the tracks. They were nearly identical with the one's that had been found at the MECH massacres and the ones he'd seen today in the park woods where all those people had been killed. It seemed clear now what had done it. He paused, was that why Zelena had gone to the woods? Had she heard about the attack on the news and then gone looking for it? But still why, and why would she go alone? And where was she now?  
It was then he noticed something, it looked like a scrap of fabric.

The Prime carefully plucked it out of the dirt. It was a scrap of fabric, torn and shredded and seemed vaguely familiar to him. He could see there was something tucked away in its folds. With some careful prodding the cell phone dropped into his palm.

Optimus's spark leapt into his throat. Shakily he flipped it open, the background was Zelena and the children all sitting on the couch at the base.

Optimus stared horrified at the phone as a gruesome picture formed in his mind as he put the pieces together.

The Decepticons had gone to investigate the massacre themselves and found and captured that beast. Zelena had also gone out looking for it and been captured as well.

Optimus knew now that Megatron never planned on keeping his word. Instead he had planned on taking the relics and setting loose that creature to kill him. As for Zelena, she was just the bait to lure him here. And he took the bait, and Zelena was no longer needed. There was no other explanation for Knockout's answer.

Zelena was dead.

As the realization crashed down onto him Optimus's lost his battle to control his emotions. He slammed his fist into the Earth, breaking the ground. He shouted as loud as his vocal units would allow, cursing Megatron, cursing Knockout, curing Primus himself for letting this happen. He beat the ground until his hands dented and his joints were clogged with dust.  
Cybertronians couldn't actually cry like humans, but powerful emotional surges caused them to leak lubricant. His entire frame shook with those powerful surges.  
Most of all involved he blamed himself the most.  
Every fiber of his body told him something was wrong but he had continuously ignored it, and his friend had paid the price for his negligence. Her last moments spent wondering if she would ever be free again or being tortured and then being torn apart by that Primus damned monster. He wasn't there to protect her like he'd promised. He sobbed a few minutes longer before trying to gather himself. The worst part was yet to come, telling the others about Zelena's demise.


	16. Chapter 16

Like always the first thing Zelena perceived as she slowly came too was the incredible pain in her body. This time pain was worse than it had ever been before. She felt like she'd fought Megatron, and remembering her last location she knew that it was a real possibility.

That's right, she last remembered being on the Nemesis, she needed to check her location.

Her eyelids were like heavy stone slabs and it was a slow battle to open them. The first thing she saw was light, light being filtered through...things above her. She tried blinking and was rewarded with a slightly clearer image. The things above her turned into branches, the tiny leaves slowly becoming visible.

She focused her concentration into her hands and she began feeling the dirt beneath her. Her hearing soon returned as well and the sound of birds chirping their morning songs descended down from above and all around. So she was in a forest. But how? Surely the Nemesis hadn't landed, so she must have escaped through a spacebridge. Or was she sent purposefully through one? Remembering Megatron's deal with Optimus she prayed her friend was okay, she had already shed to much innocent blood throughout her life. Either way somehow, someway, she'd escaped the Nemesis and gotten back to Earth. How she did so was one of the many questions forming in her head.

She winced, even thinking hurt. God what she wouldn't give for a couple aspirin and her own bed. But now was not the time for wishful thinking. She had to get up, she couldn't just lie there naked in the woods.

Slowly she began her battle against the paralyzing pain. Trying as she might to move her fingers and feet, gaining at least some feeling back into her appendages. Slowly and forcefully she commanded her limbs to obey her, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees.

The wave of pain caused her to momentarily black out, and she came too seconds later and promptly began vomiting. Her stomach emptying itself of a foul smelling thick blue liquid, and scraps of metal that burned and scratched her throat. The horrible taste of energon that settled in her mouth, like gasoline and sulfur, caused another session of retching.

Finally the gagging ceased and Zelena gasped for air, tears running down her face. She looked around for any source of water, she needed to rinse her mouth out before she was sick again.

She spotted a small puddle in the distance and began crawling forward. Every move was pure agony that threatened to rob her of consciousness. The worst of it was her left side, her ribs surged with pain with every breath and motion and knew they were either cracked or broken.

Finally reaching the small pool of water Zelena dipped her head down to suck some into her mouth. The water was silty and had a slight taste of mud and leaves but anything was better than that foul retching taste. She swished the water around before spitting it back out. As the ripples in the puddle settled she was able to look at herself. To say that she looked like hell would have been an understatement.

Nearly her entire body was coated in dried and crusting energon, what skin she could see was covered in black bruises and healing or healed cuts. She guessed that she'd given the Decepticons a hard time.

Scooping up some water into her hands Zelena began gently washing away the filth as best she could. She managed to clean most of her body, except her back which she couldn't reach.

She noticed a trail of fresh blood dripping down her front and leaned back for a better look. There was a long open gash just below her shoulder, next to her right breast that was bleeding freely.

Knowing she had to stop it before she lost too much blood, she did the only thing she could think of. Grabbing some of moist dirt next to the puddle she rubbed it into the wound, closing the cut. It stung like hell but it was better than bleeding to death. She filled in a few more of the open cuts as well.

Now that she was more or less patched up she knew the next thing to do was to get back to Jasper.

With the help of a nearby tree she fought her way to standing position. The sun was rising in the horizon in front of her. The mountains in the distance and the smells all around her were very familiar. She knew she was somewhere in the forest near Jasper. This forest was to the North of the small town, so she had to go South. Turning to her right she started staggering forward.

Every step she took was a symphony of torture. Her nerves were literally buzzing from the pain, every step felt as if she was walking on shards of broken glass. She inhaled deeply trying to force the pain down, but it was slow going.

An hour later and she'd gone barely a mile and a half. She had to get back faster or else she would succumb to her injuries, or even worse, the Decepticons would come looking for her.

She could change into her bipedal form, but it was risky.

The transformation could aggravate her injuries and potentially make them worse. But if she was able to make it to the hospital quick enough it would be worth it. But if she didn't she would have to walk all the way home and then call for a ride and risk bleeding to death, falling unconscious or another run in with the 'Cons.

Zelena decided the risk was worth it. She paused in her stumbling to concentrate on breathing and changing her body.

It was terrible, her body felt as if it was tearing itself apart from the inside, like her blood was being replaced with liquid glass shards and her bones were being broken and set and broken again and again. But after a few minutes Zelena was standing on shaky legs in her bipedal werewolf form.  
For a few minutes she just stood and breathed until she was able to walk again.

She dropped down onto all fours, the aching lessened a bit as her weight was more evenly distributed, and she was able to work herself into a fast walk, doing her best to ignore the pain

 **0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

She was making much better time. It was near mid-afternoon and she had covered most of the forest, and was entering the last section of the woods that she could cross within the hour.

On her way she'd come up with a plan. She'd stop at her house to get some clothes before calling Mrs. Darby and asking her to pick her up and take her to the hospital. Of course the older woman would then get in contact with Optimus, who would obviously have questions as to how she'd escaped.  
Zelena had come up with a story, that the Decepticons had captured the creature that had attacked MECH. They planned on using it against the Autobots but it had escaped causing disaster and panic all through the Nemesis, giving her the chance to escape. She had made her way to their spacebridge bay and made a spacebridge somewhere in the forest.  
It sounded, at the very least somewhat believable, so she hoped he would buy it.

Zelena paused for a breath. There was a river just to her left so she decided to take a break and a drink. Leaning down Zelena dipped her muzzle in and drank deeply from the cool sweet water. After she was done she sat back and licked her furry lips, the taste of energon finally gone.

Looking at the opposite bank Zelena noticed something. Getting up she saw that it was a bramble of blueberry bushes. Zelena felt her stomach growl. She hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. She decided to have the blue fruit for lunch, she could really use the sugars and they did look pretty good after all.

Bending over the brook Zelena caught a mouthful of sweet berries and leaves, which she didn't mind.

As she ate she smelled something, fresh blood. Looking up and around the bushes she found the source of the smell. A torn apart deer carcass. Well that wasn't too unusual, the bears, bobcats and mountain lions that lived in this forest often stalked these water sources for prey when they came to drink. It looked still very fresh, probably only killed a couple nights ago.

Then Zelena stopped as a strange smell wafted up from it. She sniffed again. The scent unlike anything she'd encountered before. It was kind of musky, like the heavy scent of fresh rainfall but with a sickly sweet after smell. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she felt her lips curl up into a snarl. That sweet smell, like disease. She shook her head, trying to figure it out before giving up and going back to the berries. She had bigger problems than a sick bear, though it didn't smell at all like a bear.

When the best of the fruit were eaten she took another drink and began moving on. It would be another hour before she came across the end of the forest and the first roads. If traffic was light she could travel in werewolf form most of the way to her garage outside of town. But if there was traffic or the smell of vehicles was fresh she would change back and either walk to her garage or get a lift to the hospital.

It wouldn't be her first time wandering into town nude, when she'd first arrived here, a while back she'd been scouting the forest at night but overstayed until the morning. There had been heavy traffic and she was forced to return to her human form. She'd managed to get a lift from a woman who she'd convinced she was a sleepwalker and often went on long journeys into the night. The woman had gave her a lift to her garage where she'd given her a free oil change and spare tire in return.

Zelena stopped and sniffed at a tree. There it was again, that sickly sweet, musky smell, but this time much stronger. Again her body instinctively tensed. She sniffed the air and tried to follow the scent. Whatever had produced this smell had been in the area very recently.

She stopped as the trees disappeared on a rise that overlooked a clearing, it was an old mine shaft. She'd heard that it had been abandoned some years ago after a gas explosion, three men had died and the state deemed it too dangerous. And this is where she caught another scent. The sharp stinging familiar smell of energon and living metal. And these smells were familiar.

She swiveled her ears and listened as she heard voices.

"Well I don't see why you guys are still looking for more energon? Isn't there enough back at the base?" The voice of a young boy said.

Two humans exited the mine followed by two Autobots.

"Raf I know you're upset, we all are. But we have to keep looking to the future. The energon at the base will only last so long." Jack said turning to his younger friend.

The boy shook his head. "I know that, but it just doesn't seem right. Everyone's trying to act normal, like it didn't even happened."

Arcee nodded compassionately. "I know what you mean Raf, we would all like time to grieve, but we can't just stop. The Decepticons sure aren't stopping, so we can't either."

Bumblebee beeped and Arcee frowned.

"I'm not being mean Bee, I'm being honest."

Zelena's tail wagged as she saw her friends. This was perfect! She could just go to them for help.

Bumblebee put his hands on his hips and beeped at Arcee in a scolding fashion.

Arcee crossed her arms. "Oh really? Bee I know you're upset too but I know what I'm talking about. As much as we all miss her we can't just stop, she wouldn't want us to waste time on grieving."

Bumblebee started beeping indignantly.

Jack tried to step in, hands raised trying to calm them. "Guys, guys come on now. We're all pretty upset, but let's not fight."

"We're not fighting!" Arcee snapped and Bumblebee jumped to his defense.

Raf had obviously had enough of this. It wasn't enough that one of his best friends was gone forever, but the others had to argue about it too. He began to wonder if anything would ever be the same again.  
Raf turned and started wandering off, he'd found a stick and started rolling a roundish pebble around in the dirt, wandering farther away from the others.

Zelena breathed deeply and prepared to change shape when a gust of wind blew from the trees on other side of the mine towards herself. The smell of musk and sickening sweetness hit her like a wall, stronger than ever.

She went rigid and her ears twitched picking up a sharp snap. Her eyes focused to the trees on other side of the sight.

There, just beyond the line of foliage, a large dark shadow was moving slowly forward.

Zelena tensed as she regarded the thing. It was big, nearly as big as her, and seemed to walk on two legs with a stooped posture.

At first she thought it was a Decepticon, until she saw its eyes. They were bright amber and glowed with a deep hunger.

She knew immediately that it was a werewolf. It had to be the one that massacred all those people at the campsite and left the tracks.

The other werewolf crept forward, trying to go unseen, it was focused intensely on something.

Zelena followed its line of sight right to Raf who was wandering further and further away from the others.

Zelena's heart began pounding, she looked to the Autobots, but they were still caught up in their argument.

Looking back she saw that Raf was only a twenty yards from the line of trees.

The werewolf crouched and prepared to go for the kill.

With a loud roar Zelena charged off the rise.


	17. Chapter 17

The Autobots, humans and the other werewolf all paused and turned to see the cause of roar. The other wolf saw that she was coming for him, he growled low before making his move. Charging out of the trees, he lunged at the young boy.

She roared again in fury, adrenaline rushing into her veins as she sped up. She leapt and tackled him out of the air.

Both tumbled to the ground and raced to get to their feet. Zelena's body ached and her wounds pulled, but as more adrenaline pumped through her the more the pain began to dull.

She looked over her adversary. She could smell that he was a male, he was an entire one third shorter than her, but he was thick with muscle and looked in his prime. His fur muddy brown, his claws and fangs blackened with dried blood. The sweet smell was rolling off him in waves and finally she understood it. It was the smell of sickness, this wolf carried something malignant in him, his eyes red from the disease.

Bumblebee and Arcee had raised their guns at both creatures. The werewolves had landed in between the Autobots and Raf,

Zelena stood between the blood thirsty beast and her young friend, while on the opposite side Jack was behind Bee and Arcee.

The he-wolf growled, a clear message that she understood as 'get out of my way or I'll kill you.'

Zelena curled her lips up and snarled viciously, hackles raised, an equally clear message. 'No.'

The other wolf growled in anger before going on the attack, Zelena met his challenge.

The fur flew as both werewolves bit, slashed and ripped at each other with claws and teeth and they tumbled and rolled with their battle.

Zelena tried to push the fight to the side, hoping that Raf would find and opening and run to Bee, or vice versa. But the male was strong, frighteningly so. He nearly pinned her down within moments of the fight, it was only her agility and sharpness in both mind and body that kept her alive.

For every powerful attack he made she was able to dodge or counter. His claws and teeth were duller too, the tips round and barely sharp, most likely from long nights of hunting.

Her's on the other hand were like razor blades. Every chance she got she swiped and snapped at him until he looked like a checkerboard of bloody scratches.

The male had lost all patience with the fight with the female. He stepped forward and backhanded her in the jaw. With a loud crack Zelena was thrown backwards. She landed with a hard 'thump' nearly unconscious.

As the he-wolf looked to make sure she wouldn't get back up, unintentionally opening an opportunity for the Autobots.

Bumblebee shot at the large brown wolf, trying to get to Raf while Arcee called for backup.

"Arcee to base, Optimus do you come in?" Arcee called through her com-link.

"Optimus is still out on patrol?" Came Ratchet's tired voice. He too was still in mourning for their human friend, well they all were, but Ratchet was taking it almost as hard as Optimus, feeling partly responsible. He had, after all, told Optimus not to worry and to leave Zelena be.

"We have an encounter. Two creatures that look like the one that Optimus told us about yesterday, they just attacked us. They're large and fast. We're having trouble dealing with them and Raf's in the middle of it. One looks like an exact double from the one Prime encountered last night."

There was silence for a moment on the other end.

"Ratchet?"

"I'm trying to contact Optimus Arcee, but he's not answering his comm-link. Try not to engage directly. Those creatures are fast and deadly strong." He clicked off the comm-link.

Bumblebee was still trying to fight off the wolf. But the large beast refused to give.

It charged and tried to knock the yellow Autobot down. Bumblebee tried to dodge, but the wolf followed, grabbed him by the neck and threw him across the clearing into the trees.

The male wolf then turned on Arcee, who was only a third his size.

As Bumblebee slowly opened his eyes he heard a loud cracking. Looking up he saw the trees waver before leaning and falling forward.

Raf looked up and watched as the enormous wooden giants plummeted down over him. Fear paralyzed him, he closed his eyes and covered his face with his arms in a hopeless attempt to shield himself. There was the sound of the impending doom falling, before the young boy suddenly felt himself begin jerked upwards and lifted into the air. He realized he had been picked up and expected Bumblebee. But then he felt himself pressed against something warm, a soft and wirey feel and a smell like autumn leaves.

He opened his eyes to see a wall of black fur. He was being held by two large, muscled and fur covered arms. Looking up he saw the head of one the beasts, the larger black one, looking down back at him.

Raf was suddenly afraid that the creature would try to eat him, but the moment never came. Instead the thing held him delicately, as if afraid to break him. Curiously the boy turned his eyes upwards and met the creature's large eyes.

It was here that Raf gasped as he saw its eyes, violet. It's eyes were violet, like Zelena's. But Zelena was dead, killed by a wolf like monster.  
Or was she...

His mind began racing, Why had this creature saved him. He remembered how it had knocked the other one out of the air and away from him, did it…was it protecting him? But then why. An image entered his mind, Zelena's laptop with the moon cycles. He had noticed things like this before, she almost seemed to have an obsession with the moon.  
An idea formed into his head, she never did show up during full moons. Could she be? Could this creature be?

"…Z-Zelena?"

The wolf's eyes widened before growing sad.

Raf's mouth hung open in shock. "It's really you then, isn't it? You're a... werewolf."

Her ears flattened against her head and she nodded solemnly.

The sound of a terrible roar broke their reunion. Both looked to see Arcee being picked up and thrown by the brown beast.

Bumblebee was back on his feet, he'd picked up one of the fallen trees and without warning he slammed it over the brown beast's head.

The male fell to ground and didn't get up.

Zelena sighed, at least no one had gotten hurt to badly.

 **0o**

With the more vicious of the creatures out of the way Bee and Arcee, who was getting up, turned their attention and weapons on the larger black one. They raised their weapons and Bee roared his engines at the beast holding his friend.

Zelena bent down and set Raf on his feet, not wanting him in the middle if a fight broke out. She thought about raising her arms in surrender, but thought that with her claws it might look like a threat, so just let them hang at her sides.

Raf raised his arms in defense and stood in front of her.

"No don't shoot! it's Zelena! This creature, it's her!"

The Autobots faltered in their stance confused.

"Raf what are you doing? Get away from that thing, it killed Zelena, it's dangerous!" Jack shouted trying to get his young friend out of harm's way.

Raf shook his head. "No, Zelena wasn't killed by the creature from last night, she was the creature! She's a werewolf! She just saved me, you saw it didn't you? Look at her eyes!" He pointed to the werewolf's violet eyes.

Bumblebee and Arcee looked at each other before taking a better look at the thing's eyes. Its eyes were the same colors as Zelena's, and they realized it had in fact saved Raf from being crushed by the fallen trees.

Bumblebee decided to trust his friend's judgement and began stepping forward, his weapon still raised. Arcee followed behind.

A couple yards away he cautiously bent down to check to see if Raf was okay, he was thankfully.

"It is Zelena, just look at her." He pleaded.

He stood and looked the creature directly in the eyes. They were soft and sparkled with a kind nature.

He knew that look, he knew those eyes. His eyes widened and he beeped out her name.

She nodded and smiled as much as she could.

Bumblebee almost couldn't believe this. But it was her, just as Raf had said. Bee turned to Arcee.  
"It is Zelena!" He beeped to her.

"What?" Arcee asked still in disbelief that this creature could be their deceased friend. She approached and after a long look she saw that it was their friend who was supposed to be deceased.

"Zelena! But how? Everyone thinks you're dea-"

A low malicious growl dragged everyone's attention. The brown wolf had regained conscious, it stared angrily at the group before turning its attention onto Jack.

Zelena acted fast, pushing past her friends and charging he-wolf. She slammed into him and the fight was on again.

Tearing and biting at him she managed to push him back off of herself.

Both Autobots raised their weapons and went to back up their friend.

The male saw that now he was more than outnumbered and outmatched and had no chance against all three. With a hate filled snarl he turned and went to flee into the woods.

Zelena roared and gave chase. She was really in no shape to be fighting, but this monster had killed too many innocent people already. Even after the full moon had faded he was still killing, killing for pleasure. She couldn't let him go so he could spill more innocent blood. She knew he wouldn't come willingly. Maybe she and the others could take him prisoner. She didn't know for certain but had to try.

She chased him into through the forest, trying to catch up to him.

Arcee and Bumblebee prepared to go after the werewolves when a space bridge opened, Optimus ran out, blaster at the ready.

He saw that the beasts had made an escape. "Where did they go?" He demanded.

Bumblebee pointed to the forest in the direction they had gone.

Optimus immediately took off.

Arcee shouted "Wait Optimus, you don't understand. One of them is-" But he was already gone. She tried his com-link but he didn't pick up.


	18. Chapter 18

Zelena galloped on all fours hot on the male's trail. He was ahead of her, but not by far. Still though she could not reach him. He bound down a sharp hill and she saw her opening. Leaping off the incline she landed on his back, knocking them both over. They rolled for a moment before both racing to their feet. The male's claws dug into her shoulders as she was lifted off the ground.

Zelena howled in pain as she was thrown into the side of the cliff. She slid to the ground huffing for breath.

The male attempted jump onto her and crush her, but she managed to just roll out of the way. Jumping to her feet she slashed at his back, slicing open his haunches in a red stream.

He howled and turned on her.

She tried to flee but he caught her back legs and pinned her down.

He tore into her shoulder and he raked her back with dull claws.

She knew she couldn't let herself be finished like this.

Managing to get her back feet underneath her pushed up with all her might. They flipped them both over and got to her feet.

He growled getting to his and preparing to attack.

She had to do something quick, she was beginning to bleed out and fast. She looked beyond him and saw there was a large crack in the cliff face. She charged him, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him back. His back hit the cliff with a smack. She pulled him back then slammed him again and again until there was a loud 'CRACK!'. Zelena let go and turned to run. Boulders came tumbling down onto the brown werewolf with a terrible clunking and crushing sound.

Turning back to see what was left, she saw that most of his body was pinned and crushed underneath the heavy rocks, only one of his arms was free.

He whined and breathed in pain and she knew she had to put him down. He tried to growl as she approached but all that came out was a pained cry.

Zelena pinned his head and his free arm with her hands and clamped her jaws around his neck. With a sharp snap she broke his neck and ended his suffering.

Finally. Finally it was over. Finally this day could end.

She turned and started heading back up the way she had came. She gripped her bleeding wounds and her aching side. The fight had re-opened the cuts and gashes from this morning.

She stooped back down to all fours, hoping that would help alleviate some of the pain. As the adrenaline left her system she was beginning to feel the full extent of her injuries. She needed to get to a hospital, fast.

She panted and blinked rapidly as the world around her began spinning. She'd lost too much blood in the fight, far too much.

She heard heavy footfalls and the snapping of twigs and logs and figured Bumblebee and Arcee must have been chasing after her. She sighed, they'd get her to the hospital.

As a figure came into her peripheral vision Zelena looked up and the sight that greeted her was a shock. Even with her dizzy vision she could still make out the blue red color scheme and the tall form of Optimus.

Her mind rejoiced, she'd never been so happy to see him. Even though she'd only been gone for a couple of days she'd missed him. Zelena swore to herself that she'd come clean about everything. About what she was, about the full moon, about the sneaking around. But right now all she wanted was to get fixed up and be with her friends.

Optimus came walking down fast towards her and she was only too glad to go to him. She smiled as they neared each other and as her vision got worse she reached out to him, hoping he would steady her, when something hard collided with the side of her head. She stumbled backwards, confused and in pain when something else was slammed into her gut, knocking the air out of her.

Zelena fell to the ground in a heap, gasping for oxygen. Optimus stood above her, his battle mask drawn along with his energon sword.

He attacked her! Her mind was racing. Why had he attacked her!  
The realization crashed down. She was still in her wolf form. He didn't recognize her. She had to change back, had to let him know that she was herself. Before it was too late.

She raised her arms in a gesture of surrender, but that only achieved in making him angrier. His metal foot coming down onto her chest, breaking her previously cracked ribs and she howled in pain. She grabbed his ankle but couldn't move him. Raising her legs she kicked him off and he tumbled to the ground. Rolling to all fours she scrambled a short distance away and got onto two legs.

Zelena turned, knowing she couldn't outrun him, she had to convince him that it was her somehow. She took a breath and began feeling it, her body starting to morph. But as she turned to face him he was suddenly right in front of her, and she felt something. It was like she'd been smacked with a baseball bat in the gut. Looking down Zelena saw that his energon blade was embedded into her lower stomach.  
With an upward motion the blade was dragged through her innards, severing her flesh.

With a small cry Zelena fell backwards, off the blade. The feeling wasn't exactly painful, but it was the feeling that something wasn't right on the inside.

Optimus walked around her body until he was looking straight down at her face, and he raised her sword.

'Optimus…you wouldn't.' She thought as the blackness consumed her vision.


	19. Chapter 19

As he descended the hill and found the two creatures. The smaller brown one now lay dead under a pile of rocks. Optimus laid eyes on the black beast and he instantly recognized it as the one from the other night. Even though it now stood on two legs he knew it was the same. This was the beast that had attacked him and more importantly this was the monster the Decepticons used to killed Zelena, the monster that killed those humans at the park. Well he would avenge his fallen friend. He wouldn't let this beast live to kill again.

Drawing his weapons he made quick to advance on it.

The beast looked rather torn up from its previous fights but still the thing came at him.

It's lips raised in a snarl, it lifted one of its claws for a strike, but Optimus moved past the feeble attack and punched the creature in its jaw.

The beast stumbled backwards, but before it could counter Optimus rammed his knee into its abdomen. This sent the monster onto its back, sputtering.

Optimus looked at the thing in hatred and disgust. He avoided looking into those red empty soulless eyes, he didn't want to see the horror in them that he had seen last night. They were even more soulless than Megatron's. This thing was a true monster and it deserved to die.

He raised his foot and slammed down onto its chest, remembering the injury inflicted the night before. And the thing howled in agony.

'Good.' He thought. 'I hope this hurts you as much as you've hurt others. You deserve to die!'

The beast grabbed his ankle and the sharp claws severed a few wires causing pain to rush up his leg but he tried to keep it pinned beneath him. However he didn't expect the powerful kick the thing delivered and he was pushed back onto the ground

Quickly getting to his feet the Prime saw that the beast was now trying to get away, but Optimus followed, his sword at the ready. The beast turned and the Prime quickly made his move.

Rushing forward he plunged his energon sword into the monsters abdomen, then dragged the blade upwards, slicing the beast from the inside. The monster fell backwards into the dirt and leaves.

Optimus moved to stand over its head. He raised his sword intending to end this monster's life once and for all. 'Now you die you damned beast'.

A comn request from Ratchet paused his current action. He looked down before answering, the thing wasn't going anywhere.

"Ratchet what is it?"

"Optimus! Why aren't you answering Arcee or Bee? They're both in a furry." The old medic sounded rather worried himself.

"I was finishing something up. I'll answer them now." The Prime hung up with Ratchet and answered Arcee's link, which had still been being sent.

"Optimus, thank the Allspark! Stop whatever it is you're doing!" The femme shouted through the com-link.

"Arcee what is this about?" Optimus asked confused.

"The werewolf- the creature- the black one, don't hurt her, it's Zelena!"

"What?" The Prime said at the audacious accusation.

"The creature is Zelena! She's some sort of organic transformer, she's able to change her form, to become the creature you saw. I know how this sounds but it's the truth. She saved Raf from the other one. Just look at her! And whatever you do don't hurt her, she's already in bad shape from-"

Optimus stopped listening. He looked down at the creature's closing eyes, and he was paralyzed. Those eyes. The moonlit silver and the sunlight gold. He knew those eyes, had many happy conversations as he would look into them.

As if he needed more evidence the creature fell unconscious and its form began to change. It began shrinking, the claws, fangs and muzzle retracting and the fur receding. Within seconds the beast was gone and its place lay the small, nude and abused Zelena.

For a long moment all the Prime could do was stare in disbelief at what he'd just seen and what he was looking at now. Was this really happening? Did everything before just happen? The Prime's mind was frozen with unanswered questions.

It was only the far off sound of crunching leaves and sticks that broke him out of his trance. Coming to his senses he kneeled down, trying to force his mind to think of what to do next.

Zelena. She needed to be tended to.

He reached out to touch her but instantly recoiled his hand, he had inflicted so much pain onto to her. That beast-creature was Zelena, had been all this time. Which meant that all those injuries, all that pain, all that hatred that he wanted to inflict, he'd been inflicting it all onto her. The person he'd sworn to protect, he'd nearly killed her. No, she might still die from her injuries, inflicted by his own hand.

He looked at her again. Dear Primus, she was in such horrible shape, bruised, beaten and oh gods that cut.

'H-hospital!' He thought. 'I-I need to get her to a hospital!'

Reaching down again he wrapped his fingers around her small battered body and attempted to pick her up. He stopped though only seconds after the attempt, as he felt a wash of hot red blood pour from her wounds, down his hand and in between the seams of his fingers.

Prime nearly choked as one of his finger's slipped through the large gash in her abdomen. Dear Primus he felt everything. He immediately set her down as gently as he could. His mind was racing now, he had to get her to the hospital and fast, but how to move her without hurting her even more?

It hit him then, his holoform and the Prime cursed himself for not thinking of it in the first place. He'd spilt more of her precious blood through that idiotic attempt of trying to lift her.

Transforming into a Semi he quickly summoned his holoform. The smaller version of Optimus ran to her side and as carefully and gently as he could picked her up and fireman carried her. He laid her down on his seats and took off, not even bothering to disengage his holoform.

Optimus barreled up the hills and through the forest, trying as best he could to keep his cabin from shaking with the motions. He flew right past Arcee and Bumblebee who were at that very moment trying to catch up to him.

The two Autobots called out to him in confusion, not sure if they should follow their leader or try and find the wolves.

Optimus jumped onto the dirt roads that would take him to the highway, and he floored his engines. In his cabin he used his holoform to look over Zelena's wounds, while scanning her body for her life signs. Her breathing was shallow and her heartbeat had slowed to a faint murmur. There was hardly an inch of her that wasn't injured in some way. He grimaced with regret and shame as he looked at her ribcage, bruised nearly black at this point, the ribs clearly broken from his stomping.

Gently moving her to examine her back and felt himself becoming sick as he saw that something was hanging out from the laceration in her abdomen. It was dark red, nearly purple and shined with blood and organ fluid. Optimus wasn't disgusted with the human body, but rather himself. He'd could have very well pulled out her insides just by trying to pick her up.

Carefully as he could he tried to slip the organ back into her body, wincing at its warmth and softness and the blood that continued to trickle out.

He finally made it onto a paved road and accelerated past a hundred miles per hour. He had to maneuver carefully around what few vehicles there were on the road, at the same time cursing at how long the trek was taking. Zelena was losing more blood every second and he was still forty five minutes away from Jasper. If only there was a way he could just get over there in- Optimus stopped mid thought and cursed himself for being such an idiot.

"Ratchet, do you come in?" He comned.

"Optimus! What's going on? Arcee and Bumblebee are yelling my audio receptors off. Why did you just take off-"

"No time Ratchet. I need a space bridge to the Jasper hospital now!"

"The hospital? Optimus you know I can't do that, it's far too dangerous for you and for other humans."

"Then get me as close as you can dammit!"

"Optimus what is this all about? Is one of the children hurt? If so it would make more sense to have June Darby come to the base rather than-"

Optimus stopped listening to the medic and his spark surged as he saw Zelena's heart stopped.

"RATCHET JUST DO IT!" The Prime roared with a new sense of urgency.

Ratchet was taken aback by Optimus's behavior, but realized that it must be a real emergency for the Prime to act this way. Flicking through the controls he found a location two miles out from Jasper that had some decent cover in the form of large rock formations. He touched the controls and in an instance summoned the swirling blue green portals.

Optimus saw the spacebridge open ahead of him in the road and sped up. As he was deposited onto a road he recognized and knew he wasn't far off from the town. He floored his engines and sped ahead.

As he entered the town he began blaring his horn trying to get the human drivers to move out of his way or let him pass as he weaved through traffic in the narrow roads, barely slowing down.

Within two minutes he screeched into the hospital parking lot, blaring his horn as loud as possible, but knew the clock was still against him, against Zelena.

A nurse rushed at the commotion as Optimus pulled up in front and he barely remembered to change his holoform into a human as he swung his doors open.

As soon as the woman saw Zelena her eyes went wide and she began shouting at the open door of the building, calling for emergency personnel.

Seconds later a group of hospital personnel rushed out with a gurney.

The nurse that had original came out to see him told Optimus to grab her shoulders and lift Zelena up and out onto the gurney. They placed her as gently as they could onto the cart, a doctor fixed the straps over her and immediately began rushing her into the hospital.

Optimus's holoform jumped out and ran behind them. The doctors and nurses ran through the lobby down a hall, taking a right turn down another hall and then into the large emergency room. As Optimus tried to follow them in the nurse at the back of the group, the one who had met him in the parking lot, turned and stopped them both. She looked frazzled but managed to keep a calm face.

"I'm sorry sir, but you need to wait out in the lobby."

Optimus shook his head wanting to desperately push past the woman. "But I can't, I need to be-"

The nurse cut him off. "Sir I understand your concern, the doctors are going to do everything they can for her, but right now you need to let them work. You'd just be a distraction."

Optimus wanted to retort but he knew she was right. He'd only end up doing more damage. Sighing and nodding and slowly followed the nurse back through the hallways to the lobby where he slumped down into a chair.

The nurse though didn't leave. Instead she took a seat next to him.

"Sir, I know this is a difficult time for you, but I need you to answer a few questions for me and fill out a form for the patient." She handed him a clipboard and a pen.

The Prime looked over the questionnaire and felt his holoform swallow hard as he realized he had no idea how to answer any of these questions. The woman seemed to realize he was having trouble with the paper and thought it must be due to shock at seeing that girl in the way she was.

"Is there anyone you know who knows the patient and could come and fill this out?"

Optimus raised his head and nodded. "Uh-Y-yes. June, June Darby. She works here, She knows us."

The nurse nodded and went to the front desk where she called June from her station for an emergency.

Not four minutes later June came running down the hall to the front desk. She saw the nurse who called her down and immediately began demanding answers.

"Lucy! What's happened? Is it Jack? Is he alright?"

The nurse, Lucy, put her hands on the older woman's shoulders to calm her down. "Calm down June, it's not Jack. It's a couple of your friends who've come in."

June turned and instantly recognized Optimus's holoform, she saw the panic and pain written all over his face and knew instantly that everything was far from alright.

"He's in shock pretty bad and needs some help with the questionnaire. He brought in a young woman who was very badly injured and is in the emergency room right now. Which reminds me I need to get back in there. I'll let you know how things are going." With that the younger nurse turned and left back down the hall.

June sat down next to the Prime, worry written all over her face. "Optimus what's happened? Who is it?"

The Prime shook his head. "Zelena, she's- I- I thought she was-" Optimus shook his head again, unable to speak the words.

June took the clipboard from his hands, knowing that for him to be acting this distressed that she must be in bad shape. She decided that she could at least fill out the paperwork in case it was needed later. Getting up and going to the front desk she asked for the files of one Zelena Liekos. Taking the beige folder and going back to sit, she flipped through the short file seeing her description and blood type.

She began remembering how the strange but kind young woman had just shown up one day out of the blue in the small town of Jasper and took up living old dilapidated garage that she eventually fixed up and opened as a small auto shop.  
The town was small so word got around quickly about the strange new resident who fixed up cars but always kept to herself. She remembered her own first meeting with Zelena when her car had gotten a flat not yards from the garage.  
She'd joked that day that it was fate. When she introduced herself, June was shocked by not only the self reliance the young woman had, but also the fact that she had no family to speak of. The older woman asked then what she'd done before coming to Jasper. Zelena's only told her that she traveled.

Finishing the questionnaire she went to hand both it and the file back in before returning to her seat next to Optimus. She turned to face the holoform with a serious expression.  
"Optimus, was it the Decepticons?" She asked her voice hushed and tense.

He looked conflicted for a moment before shaking his head 'no'.

"What do you mean by that? Was it or wasn't it the 'Cons?"

"I-I...she attacked-there was fight-." He stated simply.

"A fight?"

Optimus nodded. "T-there were two." He said vaguely remembering the dead brown wolf.

"Two what?" June raised her voice slightly getting annoyed by his lack of clarity.

Before Optimus could answer the hospital front doors swung open and in rushed Jack, Raf, and the holoforms of Arcee and Bumblebee. They looked June and running over they began bombarding both her and the prime with questions, everyone talking over each other. Finally June stood up and shouted,

"Everyone QUIET!"

The entire room was instantly thrown into silence.

"Now I know we're all worried about Zelena, but panicking won't help anyone."

The small crowd looked like they wanted to protest but knew she was right and kept quiet.

"For now all we can do is wait." She took her seat again, the new four followed her lead, each sitting down and talking amongst themselves. Arcee and Bumblebee tried talking to Optimus but he continued to remain silent despite his friend's cajoling for answer.

For three hours they all waited with little to no news. Finally June decided it was time for the kids and Autobots to head home. They protested at first but the woman promised that she would look after Zelena through the night, and that if there was any news she'd let them know.

Getting Optimus to leave was another problem altogether. He fought June to the point where she'd finally given up and allowed him to stay in the waiting room despite the hospital being closed to visitors by that time.

The next morning Zelena's condition was revealed to June who then told Optimus.  
Optimus's spark ached when he heard the news. It wasn't good news, but it wasn't the worst news. Zelena had been stabilized in the night, she'd needed several blood transfusions and over a hundred stitches, but she was alive. The bad news she was in a coma. It had taken the doctors a few minutes to get Zelena breathing again and by then she'd fallen into a deep sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

The next Day, Autobot Base:

Even though most of it's occupants were present, the Autobot base was unusually quiet. There was an uncomfortable air floating around the place. Everyone avoided talk as best they could. The Autobots were trying to keep themselves occupied.  
Bulkhead was counting energon cubes for what must have been the seventh time that day.  
Smokescreen had his head buried in a datapad.  
Arcee and Bumblebee were both going over their patched up wounds from yesterday's fight.  
Ratchet was at the computer going over the medical files of his companions, making sure their wounds were healing as per schedule.  
Optimus' wounds were by far the worst and still needed to be examined everyday. Ratchet winced, thinking about this reminded him of how the prime received the wounds, from one of their own human friends. And then how Optimus had gone and unintentionally inflicted even more damage back on the other, nearly killing her.  
In what was one of the single most confusing days of his existence Ratchet was busy trying to make sense of everything that had happened, how it could have happened, how it had all led up to this. It did make more sense now, when he had tested the blood on the scrap of clothing Optimus had brought back, the night he'd been attacked, to make sure it really was Zelena's and not some Decepticon trick. He'd then tested some of the blood and flesh of the creature that was found on Optimus. The results had come up saying it was Zelena's blood. He'd been so confused and finally decided that the equipment had been contaminated by the previous sample of Zelena's blood. At least now he knew that his equipment was working right.  
He glanced over at the three humans and wondered if any of them had suspected anything.

The three humans were at their platform. Raf was on his laptop, unbeknownst to the others reading up on werewolf lore.

Miko was trying to watch TV but looked obviously distracted.

And Jack was sitting on the couch, arms crossed, hard in thought as he watched the others go about their business.  
Finally he scowled and sighed. "Isn't anyone going to say anything about what happened yesterday?"

Miko turned. "What do you mean?" She asked generally confused by the question as a lot had happened yesterday.

"Zelena's a werewolf!" Jack said exasperatedly throwing his hands in the air.

This time Raf turned to answer. "Yeah, so?"

"So? So does anyone even care as to what that could mean?"

Miko shrugged. "Um, that we have a cool new member of team prime?"

Jack frowned. "Doesn't anyone remember what happened at Hilltop? All those people who were killed."

But Raf scowled. "Don't forget about that other one, the brown werewolf. I bet you anything it was the one who attacked all those people."

But jack shook his head. "Then what about Optimus? He said that a large black wolf monster attacked him. You really think there is a third one out there who looks exactly like Zelena."  
At that the room became deadly silent. The memory of yesterday still too fresh in everyone's mind. Ratchet was only grateful prime was not here at the moment, was still at the hospital. Optimus was suffering from a great deal of guilt since finding out he had nearly killed one of his friends.

"W-well it was a full moon then. Maybe she can't control herself during the full moon. Zelena would never really purposefully hurt someone." Raf said, though he felt less sure of himself.

"Doesn't that seem a little too convenient. I mean what do really know about her? Where she came from, her family, anything about her past. And what about the people from MECH. Do you really think if she had lost control of herself and attacked them she would still have the right of mind to bury the energon for the bots to find?"

"What do you care about MECH Jack?" Smokescreen spoke up. "They kidnapped you, your mother and Arcee, and made a deal with that decepticreep Airachnid. Good riddance I say."

"But they were still humans."

"She did bury them." Miko offered, still watching the tv.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Zelena came too with a very strange sensation. She felt as if she was floating, a dizzying sensation of disorientation . She opened her eyes, the world was a spinning kaleidoscope of light and color around her. With a groan she closed her eyes, her head feeling like it was filled with cotton stuffing. She didn't know where she was but thought she caught a brief whiff of antiseptic and the distant sounds of people talking. She also felt something warm in her hand and instinctively squeezed.

There was a sudden sound of someone standing, a chair hastily pushed backwards and footsteps leading hurriedly away. She opened her eyes again and tried focusing on a single spot through the spinning. Slowly the world began to come together and soon what was once a swirling blur was now a light fixture hanging from a gray tiled ceiling.  
She turned her head to the left then to the right. There various devices and strange objects, but one thing she recognized. An IV bag filled with clear fluid was set up at her right, the small tube running down from the bottom of it connecting with a needle she found inserted into her wrist. Her mind put the pieces together. She was in a hospital. Somehow, some way she had gotten here.

There was the sudden sound of hurriedly approaching footsteps and a figure soon entered her room. Even though the her vision was still spinning Zelena was able to make out the familiar features of June Darby.

"You're awake." The older woman stated and came to stand by Zelena's side. "We were all really worried that you wouldn't come out of it." She looked very worried, or at least Zelena thought she did.  
"Actually I'm surprised you came out of it this fast considering all of your injuries."

Zelena was still very confused. "How...did I get here?"

June frowned at the memory. "Optimus brought you in. He was pretty distraught about the whole thing. Could barely even speak. Arcee explained that there had been a fight between some strange creature and that you had gotten in the middle of it. It's just good that he got you in when he did."

Zelena's eyes widened as her memories began to come back. That's right, she had fought the male wolf and then Optimus had mistaken her for an enemy and attacked her. But where was Optimus now? She hadn't seen him when she'd woken up.  
"Where's Optimus?"

June looked confused. She turned around as if expecting him to be right behind her, then stepped out into the hall. "There you are. Why don't you come in? She's asking for you."  
For a moment nothing happened, then Optimus' human holoform came to stand in the doorway. He stared down, refusing eye contact with either of them.  
"Well?" June said after a moment. "Are you going to come in or are you just going to stand in the doorway the entire day?"  
Optimus glanced up before returning his gaze to the floor, but he entered the room, albeit very slowly, as if he were dreading every step that him closer to the two.  
Finally he came to stand a few feet from the foot of the bed.  
June frowned at the prime's standoffish behavior, but then thought that perhaps the two would prefer to talk in private. "Well then, I'll leave you both to it. Just press this button here if you need anything at all honey." She said to Zelena pointing out the nurse's call before heading to the door. She paused though by Optimus. "She might not make a whole lot of sense right now, but don't worry it's only the effects of the painkillers." And with that she left.

For a long while there was only silence between the two. Optimus continued to stare at the floor, refusing to look up at his friend, his former friend he was sure. For how could she forgive him after what he'd done. Not only the terrible wounds he'd inflicted upon her, but his own ignorant blindness.  
He had known something was wrong, instincts telling him that it just wasn't normal for her to act the way she had been. It was one thing for her become exhausted and over tired a few days a month, but when her behavior became more erratic, when her physical health seemed to be declining and he could see that there was something, some terrible burden weighing down upon her, what had he done? Yes he'd taken her to June but that was the most he'd pushed for. Even when Mrs. Darby had told him Zelena was alright and his own instincts told him she wasn't what had he done. Nothing. He hadn't even stayed to watch over her, just left her to fend for herself in her weakened state. And at the time when she had needed help the most, needed a friend. How could he have failed her so completely? And he had failed her, as her guardian and as her friend. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard something he did not expect.

Zelena looked at her friend, her former friend she was sure, wanting him desperately to at least look at her, or talk to her. Something. Anything. But the Prime only stared down at the floor, trying to ignore her it seemed. And how could she blame him, after all the secrets and all the sneaking around, after all the killing she'd done, how could she expect him to forgive her? She knew it was false hope. She'd always known she was a monster, always known she was something that shouldn't exist. But living in Jasper, meeting the Autobots and Jack, Miko and Raf, it could almost make her forget what she was. It made her feel something she hadn't felt in years, happy.  
She had spent so much time as a wandering vagrant that after she had settled here and met her friends she had been shocked that she could even feel contentment anymore. She had friends, a home and a job, it was like some deity had taken pity on her miserable existence and finally let her know what it was like to be normal, living simple, but content. Even with all the Autobot and Decepticon stuff, it was still a good life.  
But deep down she knew that it had to come to an end, that this happiness would not last, it never did before so why would it this time? And by the full moon's light it had all come crashing down. She had tore her way through enemy and friend alike. Lied and deceived even the person who had promised to protect her, something no one had ever done before.

With a terrible pain in her chest she realized she would have to leave soon, if not today then tomorrow. She would only have a month to get somewhere else far away and find a place where she could do no one else any harm. That was if they did not to try and stop her. After everything, after finding out what she was, they might decide she was too dangerous to let leave or even let live.  
Tears came to her eyes as Zelena knew everything she had here she had destroyed. Her friends would surely turn away from her, fearing and hating her for what she was. Even Optimus, the closest friend she had ever known, refused to acknowledge her, hating her for the monster she was.

Finally it became too much and the tears broke loose, running down her face as she sobbed.  
Optimus finally looked up, a surprised expression on his face. Probably shocked that a monster like her could feel remorse, she thought to herself.

"Z-Zelena…" Optimus stuttered as he watched her cry, wanting desperately to help but not knowing how and just fearing he would somehow make things worse.

"I'm sorry!" She said and began to cry harder. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She began sobbing almost hysterically.

Optimus stood where he was for a moment longer before going over to the chair by her bed that he had been sitting at before. There was another moment of pause as he watched her cry before reaching over and as gently as he could wrapped his arms around her.  
He still didn't understand very much about had been going on with her, but he knew she'd never meant it to go this far.

Zelena looked up in surprise, tears still running down her face. Why was he doing this? Didn't he hate her for what she was, for what she had done? Looking into his eyes she saw concern and confusion but not hatred. Without thinking she buried her face into his chest and continued to sob.  
"I'm sorry that I'm a monster! But I can't control it! No matter how much I try to stop it it get's out! It always gets out!" As she began to talk she couldn't stop. Everything came out, her father infecting her, the massacre that ensued and the long life of isolation and self exile she had lived thereafter, until her voice became raw and eyes red from crying.


	21. Chapter 21

3 Days later, Autobot Base:

Five autobots and four humans were currently in the Autobot base, all waiting with baited breath for the return of the prime and of Zelena.  
It had been 3 days since they had gotten word that Zelena had come out of her coma, and with the care and medicine provided at the hospital, and Zelena's own rapid healing, she had nearly recovered in full. And today she was coming back to the base with the promise of an explanation. Something everyone there wanted. Especially agent Fowler who was having a lot of trouble believing what the bots and children were telling him.

Finally they heard the sound of Prime's engine coming through the entrance, and seconds later the large semi entered into the main room and parked. Everyone came together, the humans coming down from their platform to stand by their friends.

Inside the truck Zelena saw them, and knowing what she had to do next, felt her stomach turn to rocks.

"Are you alright?" Optimus's voice came in through the speaker so only she could hear.

She nodded. "Just...nervous."

The seat belt around her tightened slightly and the seat pressed against her more firmly, the action reminding her very much of a hug. "It's going to be alright. Remember you're not alone in this."

Zelena gave a small smile and nodded again.  
After she had told him everything she had fully expected him to turn away from her, as others had. But instead he'd stayed by her side, promising that everything was going to be okay.  
Finally she took a deep breath and opened the passenger side door and stepped out. Everyone stared at her, but she waited for Optimus to transform before anything else. Having him standing by her side made her feel safer, a bit more confident.  
He stood and looked down at her with a smile and gave her an encouraging nod.

Zelena swallowed hard as she looked at the many pairs of eyes watching her, waiting. She took another breath and finally spoke. "So...I'm sure you all want an answer to what's been going on. To know the truth about what's been happening."  
Her onlookers nodded.  
"Well as I'm sure most of you have already found out...I'm a Lycanthrope, plain and simple." She said, her voice shaky. She had never outright said it to anyone else before, the words almost sounding alien and strange.

There was a long moment of silence after that was finally broken by agent Fowler.  
"A Lycanthrope? You mean a werewolf? You can't be serious." He said with disbelief. He'd listened to the bots at first in confusion and then with skepticism, believing perhaps they had been fooled somehow. They had taken him to where they'd said the second wolf had been killed, but instead they found the nude body of a man, crushed under a heap of boulders.

Zelena had expected this, knew she would probably have to give some sort of demonstration. Stepping forward, she decided to change to the 'wolfman' form. She closed her eyes, took a breath and changed.  
Her muscles grew larger, but not intensely so like in her other forms, she grew claws and fangs, her facial features becoming more canine like, her ears growing longer and pointed like a dog's. The change happened in a few seconds and agent Fowler jumped back in shock.

He really hadn't believed in such fairy tales as werewolves, but now stared ahead as one stood in front of him. "Holy Jesus!" He said.

Jack, Miko and Raf had similar reactions, not knowing she could look like she did now.  
"Wow cool!" Miko cried out and rushed forward. She grabbed Zelena's hand examining her claws before trying to get the other to open her mouth so she could see the fangs, then touching her ears as if to make sure they weren't prosthetics.  
"That's so awesome! You're just like Beast from X-men!" She said after she'd finished.  
This caught Zelena off guard as she had rarely associated her transformation with anything good, let along the X-men. Feeling a bit self conscious she changed back, returning to human form.

Agent Fowler was still staring in shock. "So-so all that stuff Arcee told me about her and the other werewolf was true." He was stunned. Werewolves were real apparently and as the fact sunk in he began to wonder what other mythical creatures could truly exist.

Jack stepped forward. "How did this happen? How did you become a werewolf?"

Raf nodded. "Were you born one?"

Zelena shook her head. "No I wasn't born a Lycan. But my father was one, had been one I suppose for most of my early life. You see I'm from a very small town in Massachusetts called Stonehollow."

"Wait you're from all the way up North?" Raf gaped.

She nodded. "My father's family had lived in Stonehollow for generations, it was surrounded by deep forests on all sides and was really cut off for the outside world. Apparently it was a good place for Lycanthropes to hide.  
It was my father who infected me. I didn't know at the time of what he really was. Every full moon he would go deep into the forest for a week, saying he was going hunting. I don't think my mother knew either. My sister did though. She was five years older than me, and after she'd turned fourteen she began joining him on his 'hunting' trips.  
He didn't see Lycanthropy as a curse but rather a gift, one to give to his family. On my fourteenth birthday he took me and my whole family, my mother, older sister, infant brother and I out camping. The campsite was hidden deep in the woods and we were all shocked to see that there were other people there too, mostly families like us. Now I realize that they were probably all Lycans too.  
He told us that it was a special occasion, why we and the other families had came here. That that night something amazing was going to happen. He said it was the night of 'La luna del cacciatore'. The night of 'Hunter's moon'."

Zelena paused for a moment, trying to regain the confidence she had steadily been losing.  
"That night he showed himself to me under the light of the full moon. Even though he couldn't talk as we are now, I understood him. He told of his family, of the curse they had been under for generations, and how it gave them incredible strength. He told me that it had passed down through his blood for as long as it's existed and that now he wanted to give me, what he called, the moon's blessing.  
But I was too scared. I ran and hid in the woods. He didn't take rejection well. He found me and attacked me. But this time he had the intent to kill. If I wasn't with him, I was against him I guess."

Zelena reached down and pulled up the cuff of her jeans revealing a rather large bite scar.  
"The only way I survived was by playing dead, though I was very nearly so. When the morning came I was lost in the woods and severely injured. I called out for help for hours but no heard me. As it got closer to night I realized my wounds were healing. Finally the full moon rose and I blacked out. That was the first time I changed."

She paused as the re-telling of the story had brought tears to her eyes and knowing the worst was still to come. But she needed to tell them so that they could understand.  
"Finally I came too, naked just outside the campgrounds and covered in blood. As I entered the camp I saw that everyone had been killed. No, not just killed, slaughtered. Torn up bodies were lying everywhere. I searched for family's tent, just praying they were alive. I finally found them, they were dead. My mother, my sister and infant brother had been torn to ribbons. I was so sickened by the site I vomited, And I heaved up three fingers and scraps of meat. And that's when I realized I had done it, or at the very least had played some part in everyone's deaths."

She had to stop here, the memories had become too painful and she was going to cry if she stayed in here a moment longer. She quickly excused herself and made her away outside where she was able to let the tears go without anyone watching her. This had been the first time Zelena had shared that story with anyone and doing so almost made her feel like she was re-living it.

After about an hour, after she'd finished crying and gathered herself back together as best she could she went back inside to finish her story. This time she sat on the couch.  
She took a minute more to try gather her thoughts before continuing.

"After...after what happened I ran back home. The town hadn't fared much better than the campsite. Many homes had been destroyed and a lot of people were dead. I found my house in shambles. I gathered what I could, money, clothes, some camping equipment and what food there was and I ran. For the first couple of days I just ran and ran until my legs gave, then I cried. I had destroyed everything I had loved and now had to leave forever. If I didn't I would either kill again the next full moon or be found out and be killed myself.  
The first few months on my own were tough. When the food I had brought ran out I thought I would starve, but I didn't. Whenever I became desperately hungry I would black out and come to the carcass of an animal I had killed. Apparently whenever I'm in peril my Lycan instincts are triggered and act on their own. I tried to stay away from people but I couldn't in the long run. I started coming to small towns and finding part time work or odd jobs to earn some money, but I never stayed in one place for too long, that was until I came to Jasper."

There was a long silence in the base. Everyone was quiet as they digested the last part of the story she had told. Everyone coming to a conclusion about what had happened and what was to come.

Raf was the first to speak. "So during the full moon you lose control of yourself?"

"Yes. Normally I can transform at will and be in perfect control. But for some reason during the full moon I black out and will have no memory of the night before."

The young boy nodded. "And so for the past 11 years you've just been traveling from town to town, making sure you never near people during a full moon."

Zelena nodded.

"And all by yourself." Miko added. "Sounds lonely."  
And again Zelena nodded. Loneliness seemed to be the one driving factor that kept her near people, that made her want to finally stop moving and just live in one spot with familiar faces.

"What about MECH" Jack spoke up. "Were you the one who really attacked them?"

"Yes. Two nights before the full moon I visited the old factory where you and your mother had been captured. From there I tracked them down to a site where they were mining energon. I cut the power and cleared the place out, after I buried the energon I then set the buildings on fire so the site would be found. I did the same with the second site."

"But why would you attack MECH and risk getting injured or your secret getting out?" Arcee asked.

"Because you all needed the energon. You guys have been the best friends I've ever had, and I wanted to help you. Besides I heal relatively fast so injuries aren't a big concern."

The others carried a small smile, realizing the lengths their friend had gone for them for the simple reason that she wanted to help them.

All but Jack who took a step forward.  
"But what about the people at MECH, they were humans and you killed them."

Zelena grimaced but nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"Those who dropped their weapons and ran I didn't go after. I was only after the energon, but as you can guess they didn't feel like letting me just take it. They would have killed me if I didn't defend myself. I don't enjoy killing, and I have never willingly killed an innocent." She said it as plainly as she could. Did that justify the killing of all those men, probably not. But was any willful killing of another person justified, despite the circumstances? Who was any person to judge another? Zelena had made a decision, one that caused the deaths of men who she knew could and would most likely harm others. But this decision also benefited her friends.

But Jack didn't seem as satisfied with the answer, his face still held a disapproving scowl. But he said nothing more.

"Hey that reminds me," Raf started. "How did you escape the Nemesis and end up in the woods?"

Smokescreen nodded. "Last we had heard from the Prime was that Knockout had captured you."

"Well to start off with, Saturday night was the night of the full moon. In my basement I reinforced the walls with concrete and iron bars, I also put in a new steel door, making a sort of makeshift cage. Every full moon I lock myself up there to keep myself from getting out.  
Well Sunday, after Optimus left I turned on the news and heard about the Hilltop massacre, they showed the footprints they had found and I knew they belonged to another Lycan. So I went to investigate. That was when Knockout found me, he was there investigating the prints too.  
As for how I escaped, it was another full moon that night. I don't remember anything but apparently I gave them a hard time."

Miko laughed as she imagined Starscream and Megatron being chased around their ship by Zelena, who right now didn't look like she could hurt a fly.  
"No kidding. Prime said that you chased Knockout through the groundbridge and then you gave the Prime a workout."

Zelena however grimaced and felt the guilt rise in stomach at the thought that she could have killed her friend.

Miko saw this and tried to reconcile what she'd said. "B-but It's all cool because you totally kept Optimus from giving the 'Cons the Iacon relics and then you saved us from that other werewolf.

"So what now?" Raf asked.

"Yeah are you going to start going on missions now that we all know your a but kicking werewolf?" Miko asked excitedly.

"No not just that." The young boy interrupted. "I mean what's going to happen to you now that your secrets out." He turned and looked at agent Fowler.

Agent Fowler shook his head. "I'm telling my bosses that it was the 'Cons."

Everyone looked rather surprised. Fowler wasn't one to lie about his job.  
"Listen I can sell giant alien robots, but werewolves? I'd lose my job and be put in a rubber room if I handed in a report that said werewolves were real."

Zelena was a bit surprised by the question and didn't know how to answer. She had never thought anyone would lie to protect someone like her.

Bulkhead nodded. "Well that settles it. And good to, seeing how you handled MECH having a fighter like you on the team will seriously boost our team up!"

Zelena blushed not knowing what to say.

"Now hold on." Ratchet interrupted. "We can't just plunge someone into our fights. Especially not after these last few days."

"I agree." Optimus said. "Before anything else Zelena needs to recover."

The others finally relented and agreed before going back to their own devices, now at least a little more at peace with an explanation in hand.

Optimus kneeled down next to his friend. "Would you like to return home now?"

She nodded. She was still a little weak from her injuries and after the emotional stress of today she wanted very much just to climb into bed and rest.  
Optimus transformed and after she climbed in the two were off.

As he drove down the desert road he observed his friend. She was quiet and looked quite tired, but after all that had happened he wasn't the least bit surprised.  
"How do you think it went?" He asked.

She thought about it for a moment then gave a small smile. "Better than I thought it would."

0o0o0o

It had been nearly a month since Zelena had revealed her secret to her friends. A month since she had revealed she was a Lycanthrope. She had thought her friends would be stepping on eggshells around her from then on, but since their behavior hadn't changed towards her, and for that she was grateful. In fact Miko and Raf had found it very cool and had often been begging for her to change in front of them so they could see. Raf had even asked her if she would go trick or treating and to the costume contest at his school this Halloween. He wanted very much now to go as two werewolves for Halloween and knew they would win the contest for sure. She was really touched that he wasn't afraid of her now, and she'd told him she would think about it.

But right now she wasn't thinking about anything but the full moon that would be rising soon. She was getting prepared to go into the basement, but first she had to convince the Prime to leave.  
She turned to her friend who was parked in her garage. "Optimus, it's almost time."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

She nodded. "I feel a lot better when I know that the people I care about are nowhere near me during this time. Besides you have the camera feed."  
Optimus had convinced her to putting a small camera into the basement where he could at least monitor her and know when she had changed back.

He sighed discouraged, but nodded. "Alright, but I'll be here an hour before dawn."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay."

He slowly pulled out of the garage and began heading down the road. Zelena headed down into the basement, locking the steel door behind her.  
It was going to be another rough night, but in the morning Prime would be back. She smiled to herself as she prepared, taking her clothes and door key and hiding them. Yes she was still cursed, but at least she wasn't alone, and she smiled at the thought.


End file.
